It’s love at first sight for Massimo and Giulia and they make a cute couple, but they have baggage. We all do.
Maybe they should have waited a couple more weeks to open it and maybe they shouldn’t have done it on Christmas, is all I’m saying.
Massimo knew better; he told Giulia that Christmas was the “scariest time of year” and that he wanted to spend it alone, but Giulia’s cute pouty face eventually won him over, so off he went to the mountains to meet the Colardo family.
Several things didn’t make sense to me right off the bat. Giulia reminded me of Marilyn Munster, in the old TV show “The Munsters” (I hope Nick at Night helps most of you get that reference.); she seems like a normal girl but when you meet her folks for the first time you’d better be prepared. How did this sweet girl come from this unpolished family? And why did Giulia think it was a good idea to bring Massimo home with no prior explanation of what was going on out there? I guess pretty girls can get away with stuff like that.
And then again, his rich, snooty family is no picnic.
It was a great idea to use the (amazing!) cast in roles for both families. Marco Giallini, Valerio Mastandrea, Laura Morante, and Stefano Fresi play both Giulia’s hillbilly relatives and Massimo’s wealthy ones and that’s a lot of fun.
If you go, go to see Laura Morante camp it up in a way you never have before. Go to see the always entertaining Giallini and Mastandrea. Go to see the funny young comic actor Stefano Fresi, whose future in comedy looks very bright.
Go because everyone needs a little slice of cinepanettone this time of year.
But I wish it had been just a little less loaded with clichés and stereotypes… and a little funnier.
I Love Italian Everything 