La Croisette, movie stars, photographers, premieres, parties and a portrait of Marcello Mastroianni from Fellini’s movie 8 ½ looking straight at you from his dark glasses slightly lowered on his nose: Cannes 2014.
Looks like Italian cinema is living a moment of glory. This past March, after 15 years since Roberto Benigni’s “La vita è bella” (Life is beautiful”) won an Academy award, Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grande Bellezza” (The great beauty) won first a Golden Globe and then an Oscar as best foreign movie. Whoever saw ”La Grande Bellezza” couldn’t help thinking of Fellini, as the movie clearly celebrates the great director’s poetry.
Now the 2014 Cannes film festival opened last Wednesday choosing the face of Marcello Mastroianni, one of Fellini’s favorite actors, for its official poster. It was a great reward for Italian cinema, as well as recognition to remind us of its past outstanding cinematography, its present quality movie productions, and its future potential.
Also, Sophia Loren has been invited to present a restored version of “Matrimonio all’italiana” ( Marriage Italian Style), from 1964, in Cannes Classics, a festival section which celebrates old masterpieces. Sophia Loren arrived in Cannes with her son, Edoardo Ponti, born from her marriage with the famous producer Carlo Ponti, and the two of them will also present the short movie they worked on together, “La voce umana” (The human voice), an adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s play of the same name.
Edoardo Ponti directed his mother who played the role of Angela, a woman in the twilight of her years, who lives in Naples in 1950 and has to deal with the last telephone conversation with the man she loves, who is leaving her for another woman.
Alice Rohrwacher, an Italian director despite the foreign last name, competes for the Palm d’Or and win the special Grand Prix Award with her second movie “Le Meraviglie” (The Wonders), which tells the story of a family from the 1990s whose daily routine suddenly falls apart when a television production arrives in town and shakes up their lives.
Despite the father’s desperate effort to keep the family out of modern life, the reality of the contemporary world bursts into their lives unexpectedly and affects their relationships and their dreams.
Starring in the movie is Monica Bellucci, who in the story runs the tv production, and Alba Rohrwacher, Alice Rohrwacher’s sister, established and talented Italian actress. The three ladies presented the movie this past week and they all looked to be in great shape. Monica Bellucci attended the premier in a glamour black lace gown and walked the red carpet with confidence and ethereal beauty.
Another Italian star walking the red carpet in Cannes is Asia Argento, who returns to the
director’s chair after a ten-year absence with “Incompresa” (Misunderstood). The movie tells the story of a dysfunctional family of creative artists where Aria, a 9 year old girl, struggles to find her own place in a house where adults seem to be too engaged with their own problems to pay attention to her and her need to be loved.
The movie has obvious autobiographical baggage from Asia’s childhood as the daughter of horror director Dario Argento and actress Daria Nicolodi. “Incompresa” is participating in Un Certain Regard, the festival section dedicated to young talent and brave and innovative works.
We cross our fingers and wish the best to the Italian movie-makers and talents competing at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, hoping that the Mastroianni poster will bring them luck!
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