The Postman/Il Postino (1994) - Troisi's moving swan song performance

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A serene shoreline scene and a sympathetic-looking co-star Massimo Troisi in an old-fashioned postman's hat makes up this poster for Michael Radford's The Postman

On a small South-Italian island Chilean star poet and Communist Pablo Nerudo arrives some years after WWII and befriends a simple postman named Mario.

 

Il Postino: The Postman is written by Anna Pavignano (Elsa & Fred (2014)), Furio Scarpelli (La Cena (1998)), Giacomo Scarpelli (Opopomoz (2003)), co-writer/co-star Massimo Troisi (Hotel Colonial (1987)) and co-writer/director Michael Radford (Another Time, Another Place (1983)). It is an adaptation of Ardiente Paciencia (1985) by Antonio Skármeta (La Chica del Trombón (2001)). The title is a literal translation of the original Italian title.

Troisi plays the titular postman with moving sincerity: Mario may be of simple background, but his intellect is keen enough. Wonderful images (cinematography by Franco Di Giacomo (Un Altro Mondo è Possibile (2001, documentary))) of the rural, innocent-looking Procida island here clash some with many of the portrayals of growling, coarse, desire-ruled Italians, we have seen in films from Federico Fellini and others. 

The Postman resurrects the joy at beauty, pure infatuation as well as the marvelous force of poetry as an enhancer of love. Meaningful is also the reflection and postlude following the maestro's leaving the island, without even a letter. The rampantly romantically idyllic score (by Luis Bacalov (Hotel Meina (2007))) and the in hindsight somewhat exaggerated purity ultimately settles The Postman as 'just' a sweet little film.

 

 

Watch  a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 3 mil. $

Box office: In excess of 33 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned at least 11 times its cost)

[The Postman premiered 1 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 108 minutes. Shooting took place from March - June 1994 in Italy. Troisi postponed heart surgery for the film and reportedly could only work for about an hour a day, (a double was used extensively for every possible scene for this reason), and just 12 hours after wrapping production Troisi passed away from a heart attack. The film opened #13 to a 95k $ first weekend in 10 theaters in North America, where it grossed 21.8 mil. $ (66.1 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning for Best Score. It lost Best Actor to Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas, Director to Mel Gibson for Braveheart, Picture also to Braveheart and Adapted Screenplay to Emma Thompson for Sense and Sensibility. It also won 3/5 BAFTA nominations, 1/6 David di Donatello awards and a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Radford returned with Homicide: Life on the Street (1996, TV-series) and theatrically with B. Monkey (1998). For Troisi The Postman was his last credit; Philippe Noiret (Soleil (1997)) returned in Le Roi de Paris (1995). The Postman is fresh at 94 % with an 8.00/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

 What do you think of The Postman? 

The Family/La famiglia (1987) - Scola's warm, refined chamber drama

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On an earthy-orange background the title for Ettore Scola's The Family stands forth with grandeur

We follow two brothers, Carlo and Giulio, through the lives they lead in a great big house in Rome, and particularly Carlo's secret relationship with a cousin of theirs.

The Family is the 19th feature from the great Italian co-writer/director Ettore Scola (Passion of Love/Passione d'Amore (1981)). He co-wrote it with Ruggero Maccari (Le Bal (1983)) and Furio Scarpelli (The Dinner/La Cena (1998)), with Graziano Diana (Don Busco (2004, TV movie)) contributing some dialog. It is a minor masterpiece, and if some object that it is a bit banal, I reply that I don't think it is more banal than life itself.
It is infused with a warmth, a sensitivity and a nostalgia that is balanced expertly with a kind of wise objectivity. And Vittorio Gassman (We All Loved Each other So Much/C'eravamo Tanto Amati (1974)) acts beautifully here. The Family is a terrific film.

Watch the first couple of minutes of the film here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain (but reportedly an "enormous commercial success")
[The Family premiered 20 January (Florence, Italy) and runs 137 minutes. It has been described as Scola's most autobiographical film, as he also came from a big family household in Rome's Prati neighborhood. The film reportedly grossed 346k $ in North America. According to Peter Bondanella in his book A History of Italian Cinema, the film "attained enormous critical and commercial success." It was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, which it lost to Gabriel Axel's masterpiece Babette's Feast/Babettes Gæstebud (1987). The film also competed in Cannes and won 6/12 David di Donatello award (Italy's Oscar) nominations. Scola returned as one of 9 directors of Imago Urbis (1987, documentary) and then with his own film Splendor (1989). Gassman returned in I Picari (1987). 1,697 IMDb users have given The Family a 7.5/10 average rating.]

What do you think of The Family?