MOVIE REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | YOUTUBE NEWS EDITORIALS | EVENTS | AUDIO | ESSAYS | ARCHIVES | CONTACT |
 
PHOTOS | COMING SOON| EXAMINER.COM FILM ARTICLES ||
HOME

                                                           
Friday, April 9, 2010

MOVIE REVIEW
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo Di Ferragosto)
Table For Three.  Make That Six.


The cast of "Mid-August Lunch", which opened in Los Angeles today.  Gianni Di Gregorio, who also wrote and directed, is at right.  
Zeitgeist Films

By Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com        Follow popcornreel on Twitter FOLLOW 
Friday, April 9, 2010

Gianni Di Gregorio writes and directs this sublime and polite comedy of manners and a lack thereof.  "Pranzo Di Ferragosto", or "Mid-August Lunch", is a rich, affectionate comedy underlined by warmth and gentility.  The film, which played last year at the Los Angeles Film Festival, opened theatrically in Los Angeles today.

Taking place in Italy, Mr. Di Gregorio's slender and delicate film has a cinema vérité feel to it, with numerous unbroken shots and an intimacy that draws you in.  The realism of the film is its most striking asset, its actors working casually to create a mood where nothing happens except for the things that really matter: life, togetherness and a love of food.

When Gianni's friend asks for a favor, Gianni complies but soon finds that taking care of his friend's mother while his friend goes on vacation is just the tip of the iceberg. 

What makes "Mid-August Lunch" such a treat is that the 60-something Di Gregorio plays the adult to the collection of 80 and 90-something senior ladies who populate the small apartment where Gianni lives with his mother.  The ladies play like rejuvenated teenagers, rebellious and stubborn.  Mr. Di Gregorio's character is the put-upon sucker who's had the Groundhog Day effect smeared in his face like one-too-many unwanted custard pies. 

"Mid-August Lunch" never loses its composure, and doesn't take easy exit routes to conjure up laughs.  The film maintains its shape and focus, becoming funnier as it moves effortlessly along.  Mr. Di Gregorio makes his directing debut with this film, which was released in Italy in 2008.  (He also co-wrote the critical hit crime film "Gomorrah".)

The ladies who grace this film with their natural performances make it the funny, sparkling gem that it is, as does Mr. Di Gregorio himself. 

"Mid-August Lunch" is a sheer delight, a calm, relaxing film that entertains and puts a big smile on your face.


With: Valeria De Franciscis, Marina Cacciotti, Maria Calì, Grazia Cesarini Sforza, Alfonso Santagata, Luigi Marchetti.

"Mid-August Lunch" is not rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association Of America.  The film is in the Italian language with English subtitles.  The film's running time is one hour and 13 minutes.

COPYRIGHT 2010.  POPCORNREEL.COM.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.                   Follow popcornreel on Twitter
FOLLOW



Read more movie reviews and stories from Omar here.

Read Omar's "Far-Flung Correspondent" reports for America's pre-eminent Film Critic Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times - here



SUBSCRIBE TO THE POPCORN REEL MOVIE REVIEWS RSS FEED
"movie reviews" via popcornreel in Google Reader

MOVIE REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | YOUTUBE NEWS EDITORIALS | EVENTS | AUDIO | ESSAYS | ARCHIVES | CONTACT |
 
PHOTOS | COMING SOON| EXAMINER.COM FILM ARTICLES ||
HOME