«Ammore e Malavita: James Bond a casa, Napoli avanti 

Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) - Hélène Lavoyer

Presented in competition at the 2017 Venice Mostra film festival, Ammore e Malavita («Love and the Underworld») has since racked up a wide variety of awards at the 63^th David Di Donatello ceremony: best film, best director and best musician. Since then, directors Marco and Antonio Manetti have continued to make international audiences sing and laugh with their musical comedy. Like yesterday, on the NIFFF Open Air stage.

Don Vincenzo (Carlo Buccirosso), the «King of Fish» and head of the Neapolitan Mafia, realizes after being shot in the buttock that his life as a gangster—which constantly forces him to run for his life—no longer suits him. Luckily for him, his wife Donna Maria (Claudia Gerini) loves movies and knows her classics. The two confide their plan to Ciro (Giampaolo Morelli) and Rosario (Raiz): just like in the famous Skyfall, Don Vincenzo will pretend to be dead. A fake funeral is arranged, and no one but the four of them is to know the truth.

Unfortunately, one tiny detail throws everything off course: Fatima (Serena Rossi), a nurse on duty, sees Don Vincenzo very much alive and wriggling like a maggot on the operating table. Terrified at the thought that anyone might dispute the announcement of his death, Don Vincenzo orders his two right-hand men, Ciro and Rosario, to get rid of the young woman once they find her. The young woman turns out to be Ciro’s first love, and, overcome by the madness that even the most beautiful passions can inspire, he decides to do whatever it takes to save her from his own organization’s bullets.

Two hours and fifteen minutes of laughter and twists and turns

What a joy! Since Le dîner de cons I hadn’t laughed like that in a long time—with such hearty, spontaneous bursts of laughter, punctuated by the characters« surprising and witty exchanges. The feature film, which is full of references to American action movies—and especially to the famous James Bond—seems to be saying to Hollywood: »We know your brand of humor—and just look at what we’ve done with it!”.

Why? Because he plays this brilliant caricature of the typical tourist, who—in perfect English—reports the theft of a bag belonging to one of the group members, all punctuated by ridiculous interjections from thugs living in «the most dangerous neighborhood in Naples»; because Ciro’s polished look, hair slicked back and gleaming with who-knows-what kind of gel, reminds us so much of the Hollywood leading man… all while showcasing Italy in several ways. Which ones?

Just listening to this raw, honest Italian is a delight to the ears. And the presence of those typical insults, linguistic stereotypes, and other mannerisms that foreigners love to use to define Italians gives this caricature its full flavor. Especially when these elements are organized and presented with such refinement.

In addition to excellent dialogue and delightful songs that veer toward excessive melodrama and theatricality, the editing is also masterful, flawless, and astonishing: we actually begin with Don Vincenzo’s funeral, where he shouts at us from his coffin that he isn’t that man—yes, a body had to replace the real one, after all!—before the situation is explained to us so that we can return to that moment and discover its ironic and hilarious outcome.

Everything—absolutely everything—about this film had us doubled over in our seats; each scene added a new element and helped us better understand the strong-willed nature of each character, their role, and their personality. The only advice I can give you is to jump at the next opportunity to see this gem of humor and cinema with your own eyes.

Write to the author : helene.lavoyer@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © NIFFF