By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Francesco Bruni
Starring: Barbara Bobulova | Fabrizio Bentevoglio | Filippo Scicchitan | Giacomo Ceccarelli | Stefano Brunori
Original language title: Scialla!
Country: italy
Year: 2012
Running time: 95
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821597/
Bruce says: “Winner of three prizes at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, EASY! is a satisfying comedy about parenting and coming of age. Writer director Francesco Bruni, best known for his screenplay for CATERINA IN THE BIG CITY, demonstrates the same screenwriting skills and similar insight into the complicated relationships involving teenagers and adults in EASY!
“Bruno (Fabrizio Bentevoflio) is a failed teacher and writer who ekes out a living by tutoring wealthy problem children. Always defensive, Bruno claims ‘The best minds of my generation were destroyed by teaching.’ Bruno also earns money by ghostwriting celebrity autobiographies. His current client is Tina (Barbara Bobulova), a famous porn star. Luca (Filippo Scicchitano), one of his tutoring pupils, is a fifteen year old who is flunking most of his courses and has an indifferent attitude towards anything attached to the adult world. His mother (Paola Tiziana Cruciani) comes to Bruno one day and says she is going on assignment to Mali for six months. ‘I’d like him to stay at your place,’ she tells Bruno. ‘I don’t see your reasoning,’ he replies. ‘He’s your son,’ she answers and reveals her identity. She also makes Bruno promise not to reveal the fact he is Luca’s father. So, Bruno begins his new role as secret parent.
“Bruno’s first approach is to befriend Luca. Luca thinks that is great. He gets to school late, sleeps through class, doodles and talks back to his teacher. He bounces down the school stairwell in a trashcan as students cry ‘Luca, Luca, Luca.’ When Miss Di Biagio calls from Luca’s school she tells Bruno to come as soon as possible. ‘Your son is a nutcase,’ is the message. Bruno realizes he has to resort to a tough love campaign or Luca will fail. Tina senses something is wrong during one of their interview sessions and Bruno confesses his parenthood problems. Tina counsels, ‘One day he’ll get up and be a different person.’ What Bruno does not know is that Luca has become involved with some drug kingpins and has foolishly stolen some money and cocaine. Bruno and Tina become romantically involved but have a bitter fight. Things get rather messy before a bizarre coincidence saves the day. Later Bruno apologizes to Tina for his bad behavior. ‘I called you a whore,’ he moans. ‘That doesn’t bother me,’ she replies. Porn stars apparently have other vulnerabilities.
“The actors are all well-cast. Filippo Scicchitano is a devastatingly handsome young man and should have a booming career; this is his first film role. Francesco Bruni embodies the role of disheveled, disillusioned professor. EASY! embraces the human condition on a serious level but manages to maintain a consistently light and breezy style. This is an excellent beginning to what hopefully will be a directing career for Francesco Bruni. 4 cats
“(EASY! screened at the 2012 Open Roads: New Italian Cinema Festival sponsored by the film Society of Lincoln Center.)”