The adorable Paola Cortellesi is “June Cleaver” with a Southern Italian edge in this comedy from Luca Miniero (Beneveuti al Sud), one that again takes a look at the differences between northerners and southerners in Italy.
Paola plays Carmela, who has changed her name to Cristina and tells everybody that her brother Ciro (Rocco Papaleo) is dead in an attempt to “northernize” herself. Her transformation is overzealous and her beautiful family, though it is truly beautiful (two cute kids and married to Luca Argentero? That’s pretty perfect) everybody is cracking under the strain of trying to live up to her idea of perfection.
“Dead” Zio Ciro shows up, of course, in handcuffs and accused of being a Mafia boss, in need of someplace to stay until his hearing. Cristina is at first steadfast in her desire to separate herself from her “delinquent” brother, but softens when she’s told that if she doesn’t take him in he’ll go to prison.
This is where the film takes a turn that pleasantly surprised me. I was sitting there thinking, “I know where this is going…” and feeling, frankly, disappointed. Deadbeat uncle moves in with snooty family, demonstrates his heart of gold, and helps his snobby relatives take the stick out of their asses. That sounds like a movie I’ve seen before about a thousand times.
But this movie is a lot more. Ciro doesn’t move in and start acting like Mary Poppins (that is, unless Mary Poppins let Burt stay overnight in the nursery and head butted people who insulted her). Cristina’s little girl says,in the first five minutes of finding out that her uncle is alive, “No wonder Mom told us you were dead.”. The twist, is when Ciro’s salty reputation and checkered past proves to be an unexpected boon for the family.
This is a comedy and there is a “happily ever after”, a very bittersweet one. Paola and Rocco are perfect as the reunited brother and sister, and though Luca Argentero is a little weak, he sure is pretty to look at, so who cares.
I hope that Luca Minero tries a different theme next time, because I think that Italy is getting tired of the north vs. south thing, but I enjoyed Il Boss In Salotto. It’s hard for me to imagine not liking anything that Paola Cortellesi does.
The Italian DVD contains English subtitles
Director: Luca Miniero
Writers: Luca Miniero, Federica Pontremoli
Stars: Paola Cortellesi, Rocco Papaleo, Luca Argentero
I Love Italian Everything 
