Opening today in Italy: Gianni Di Gregorio’s ‘Buoni A Nulla’

Where would Gianni Di Gregorio be if not making films? “Dead under a bridge. Alcoholic, at least.”

The end of a trilogy? Maybe. In Gianni Di Gregorio’s Buoni A Nulla, presented at this year’s Rome Film Festival, his alter-ego, Gianni, comes to the end of the road of the tragicomic and very human adventures that began in 2008 with Pranzo di Ferragosto (Mid-August Lunch) and then was followed by Gianni e le Donne (The Salt of Life). This time there’s a lesson: You have to learn how to say “no”!

Di Gregorio says that in this film, the ever-suffering Gianni does just that.

While working on the screenplay for the film Gomorrah, Di Gregorio became friends with director Matteo Garrone, and so when the idea for Pranzo di Ferragosto came about, Garrone offered to produce it.

Pranzo di Ferragosto - Gianni's a bit of a Mamma's boy — Pranzo di Ferragosto – Gianni’s a bit of a Mamma’s boy

Both of Di Gregorio’s earlier films are available to rent in the US; watch them and you too will be dying to see the film’s lovable Gianni rebel.

As usual, Di Gregorio wrote, directed and starred in this film and he rounded up a pretty impressive supporting cast: Anna Bonaiuto, Valentina Lodovini, Marco Marzocca, and Gianfelice Imparato.