Here are some movies for guys; shooting, sex, and blood guaranteed.
When many American men think of “foreign films” they think “chick flick”, in art houses with audiences full of annoying pseudo intellectual hipsters wearing black berets. I am used to seeing eyes glaze over with boredom when I bring up an Italian movie, but if I get their attention and show them Checco Zalone, I can win them over.
Italian movies are mostly just that, MOVIES. While many, like Sorrentino’s La Grande Bellezza are true works of art, many more are just a couple of hours of movie fun. And they aren’t all “chick flicks”.
Here are some movies for guys; shooting, sex, and blood guaranteed.
Galantuomini – OK, the mob boss’s right hand is a woman, but she’s a tough girl and she’s very sexy too. Donatella Finocchiaro (my girl crush) plays one of three childhood friends that have taken three very different paths in life. Galantuomini (I think the English title is “Brave Men”) has everything a mafia movie fan could want, including but not limited to lots of superfluous hurting and killing people. Also stars Fabrizio Gifuni.
20 Sigarette – I admit there aren’t tons of Italian action movies, but there’s a reason for that: Money. But 20 Sigarette breaks that rule with a very exciting action/war movie. Vinicio Marchioni and Carolina Crescentini star in director Aureliano Amadei’s autobiographical story.
ACAB – In Stefano Sollima’s A. C. A. B. all cops are bastards. Skinheads who tattoo it on the backs of their necks use it as a call to war with the police and the riot police wear the reputation like a of badge of honor. Starring Pierfrancesco Favino and Marco Giallini, that riot gear they are wearing isn’t for show in this action movie.
Il Terzo Tempo – If you are like my husband, you’ll agree that all the world’s problems can be solved and all of its agressions gotten out on the football field, American football in our case. Il Terzo Tempo is about a troubled young man whose life is turned around with rugby, and that’s a pretty tough game too.
Gomorra – Girls, give the guys a break from the tear-jerkers and the love stories and watch Gomorra with them. It’s brutal, and they will love this movie about the Camorra, the other mafia in Italy. The movie is based on a book by Roberto Saviano, and he still needs bodyguards to protect him from the mob, not happy about his having written it.
Il Mio Cognato – A cool buddy movie starring my favorite Luigi Lo Casio and Sergio Rubini, a guy and his semi-criminal brother-in-law roam the seedy side of Bari one night in search of his stolen car.
La Scorta -La Scorta is “the escort”, rather 4 escorts, police officers chosen to protect mafia judges in Sicily – maybe the most dangerous jobs on the planet. In La Scorta, a judge and his “scorta” are assassinated and a new one arrives to take his place. Judge de Francesco is honest and determined and the escorts that who have been assigned to him come to respect him and share his cause in a way that makes it seem like it’s them against the world as they begin to unravel the web of government corruption that they’re discovering. The judge tells his four escorts, “You’re the only ones that I trust”, and I really can’t blame him.
Che Bella Giornata – I’ve seen how guys love the Three Stooges – they’ll love this one stooge, Checco Zalone. He’s not really racist, sexist, or homophobic. He’s just a dumb guy with a lot to learn about the world.
I Love Italian Everything 