Mambo italiano (2003)

Director:

Émile Gaudreault

Writers:

Steve Galluccio (play)
Steve Galluccio (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 October 2003 (Slovenia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Things change. Family doesn't.

Plot:

The son of Italian immigrants to Canada struggles to find the best way to reveal to his parents that he's gay.

Plot Keywords:

Little Italy | Italian | Immigrant | Gay | Italian Canadian

Awards:

11 nominations

Cast

Luke Kirby	...	Angelo Barberini
Ginette Reno	...	Maria Barberini
Paul Sorvino	...	Gino Barberini
Mary Walsh	...	Lina Paventi
Peter Miller	...	Nino Paventi
Claudia Ferri	...	Anna Barberini
Sophie Lorain	...	Pina Lunetti
Tim Post	...	Peter
Tara Nicodemo	...	Yolanda / Woman in Airplane / Jolene
Pierrette Robitaille	...	Rosetta
Dino Tavarone	...	Giorgio
Mark Camacho	...	Johnny Christofaro
Michel Perron	...	Father Carmignani
Lou Vani	...	Marco
Diane Lavallée	...	Mélanie

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual situations.

Runtime:

88 min | Canada:92 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:99 min | Argentina:92 min | UK:85 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | Italian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:6 (f) | Chile:Y7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | Netherlands:AL | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Le Village Gai, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Cinémaginaire Inc.

Trivia:

Both the film and the play (which the film is based upon) are based on Steve Galluccio's own life and experiences.

Goofs:

When Gino and Maria visit the cemetery, Maria says that her sister was 33 when she died, but the dates on the tombstone are 1960-1987, which would make her 27.

Quotes:

Pina: Me, I can convert anybody. Give me an hour in the Gay Village and there's not gonna be a Gay Village no more! Hai capito?

Movie Connections:

References "Dynasty" (1981)

Soundtrack:

Return to Me

One thinks it's easy to be gay in Canada - and is mistaken!

Unlike some other commentators, I knew nothing about this film except it's a comedy about gay men. So I didn't expect much, but got all the more! First of all, I was glad to see that the main character was neither the classic handsome Hollywood macho, nor a feminine gay man but just an average-looking young guy. The other guy does look more cliché, but then he's the one who ends up in the closet, feeling guilty about being gay. The acting is superb throughout the film.

Someone commented that it's not all that funny. Well, it's true - coming out and breaking up with family or your lover are always painful, and I don't like films which ignore this side of the story. If you're deeply touched by Angelo's story, then it has performed the task such films, I think, are supposed to do: to make the audience more sensitive to gay people's issues. At the same time, though, it's pretty funny - just like your own coming out is often funny looking back. The confession scene is hilarious, and I laughed my heart out at the gay helpline scene - working for a GLBT helpline myself, I can assure you: this is just as distorted as the image of the Italian community. (We could use that scene for training purposes, though: what not to do...)