opening night of new zealand international film festival 2015
an interesting pick - huge in italy - unheard of anywhere else
actor/director/writer pierfrancesco diliberto - pif is well known
italy's answer to jon stewart also with his own satirical tv show
this is his first film based on sicily's long struggle with the mafia
it starts in 1969 with the conception of arturo - he doing voiceover
his parents on their wedding night are consummating their marriage
this in the same building that a mafia boss runs his shady operation
and on this night visited by a rival gang disguised as police officers
a violent shootout which we then seen comically affecting the sperm
some clever animation showing all but one sperm reversing direction
the egg is fertilised - and so it is arturo's life is influenced by the mafia
the credits roll - what an enticing start with comedy in the violence
and then we are entrenched in the 1970s watching arturo as a child
it's done so well with impressive attention to detail with fashion, etc
his home has the appropriate furniture, decor and tellingly - attitude
his father a tv addict and detached from his son who remains silent
the first word he speaks - mafia - when a priest visits for a blessing
actual tv news items cleverly used to describe the mafia's dominance
the city of palermo in it's grip with any opposing voice assassinated
we witness arturo as a student and his first crush on a classmate
more comedy as his affections are hijacked by a fellow student
flora oblivious to the feelings of the shy and sensitive arturo
just as she warms to him she announces her family is leaving
her father tired of the violence and a relocation to switerland
arturo declares his love in an elaborate pavement chalk drawing
just as we are lulled into the sweetness of this violence returns
a huge car bomb destroys his drawing and the building behind
the family has left but an outspoken lawmakers family killed
and again actual tv footage used to add authenticity to the film
skipping forward a number of years and arturo now a young man
still pining for flora and now working as a pianist for a comedian
he has also befriended a journalist and sees that as his profession
some great scenes of arturo riding around palermo on his moped
job-hunting and as part of that witness to a mafia assassination
flora shows up back in town working as an aid to a politician
she agrees to allow arturo to be their journalist/cameraman
but their views differ on her bosses sincerity towards the mafia
her righteousness leads to her dismissing arturo's romantic notions
and again demonstrating the influence the mob has had on his life
in the meantime the locals are tired of the mafia's violent ways
protests grow in numbers and more actual footage is shown
at one such bustling protest arturo and flora spot each other
an embrace, a kiss, happy days and then we fast forward
flora delivering a baby and arturo the proud father is there
arturo's voiceover providing a most memorable postscript
parents must protect children from the wickedness of the world
they must also teach their children how to recognise wickedness
this as arturo and flora are seen reading from various plaques
placed where people standing up to the mafia were assassinated
me - brought a smile to my face - a great ending to a superb film
good choice for the opening night of nziff - woo-hoo - here we go...
