​FILMS

latin lover

 

2015 review number 130:

Latin Lover: (Comedy/Drama): 64 out of 100: A mildly amusing Italian film that suffers from having too many characters to the point where you can't keep track of who's who. There's so many names to remember that it's easy to be ignorant of some of the characters. As a result, the character development is average at best. What the movie does have going for it is light-hearted comedy which passes the time.

 

The five daughters of a famous actor along with their respective mothers and their own children, get together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his death. (Too many characters and actors to list to make this a detailed synopsis!) When they all stay at the same place, they reminisce about his life and how they were affected by his presence.

 

Quite a few of the actors receive minimal screen time due to the presence of so many actors. I'm sure some of the characters were not even referenced by name at all! Occasionally, the characters descend to caricatures accompanied by some overacting but that's probably attributed to the farcical nature of the plot. There are several humorous scenes but not laugh-out-loud funny, more of a little chuckle or wry smile.

 

The music score deserves credit for being bouncy and tuneful, and the jolly nature of it reflects the light-hearted sense of the story. The picturesque scenes of the Italian countryside also add visual appeal. The screen lights up whenever the action moves outdoors.

 

Towards the end, the film strays from its humour which admittedly doesn't always work, and becomes a bit of a tear-jerker. As the viewer doesn't grow attached to any of the characters, the tears shed by the characters are not shared with the audience.

 

Latin Lover will be screening at the Italian Film Festival in Australia during September and October. It's not a film that you should desperately rush out to see but you could do worse than to check it out to pass the time. It definitely fits the bill of a pleasant diversion. Just expect to be bombarded with a multitude of characters.

 

Starring Toni Bertorelli, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Angela Finocchiaro

(104 minutes)

Parental advice: Coarse language, sexual references and nudity

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lomeVSznLT4 (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Wednesday 2nd September, 2015)

 

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