The recently released on Italian DVD La Buca from director Daniele Ciprì is “uno spasso e mezzo” (Is that how you’d say a hoot and a half in Italian?)
Sergio Castellitto, Rocco Papaleo and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi star in Ciprì’s second directorial attempt and I gotta say, Daniele’s got a silly side.
His first film, È Stato il Figlio, one of my favorites of 2012, was quirky and silly in spite of its serious theme; I saw Ciprì’s playful nature even there. But he’s gone all out boffo with La Buca, and I like this about him.
La Buca is the urban fairytale of a greedy curmudgeon, (Oscar, the unscrupulous lawyer played by Castellitto), a lovely, kind, and mistreated fairy-godmother (Carmen, the barista, played by Bruni Tedeschi), and usurped prince (Armando, the ex-con, played by Papaleo), in a whimsical cartoon land full of anachronisms and charm.
When Armando is released from prison, he comes home to a Alzheimer afflicted Mamma that doesn’t remember him, a sister who finds him an undesirable element for her children, and the deceitful Oscar, who wants only to take advantage of him. He’s given small rays of sunshine by the dog, “Internazionale” who has appeared to have adopted him, and Carmen, who takes pity and looks out for him.
Fate begins to smile on the unlucky Armando when Oscar, Carmen, a convalescent home nurse, and a Mariachi singer join forces and with comic disorder, save the day.
There are a couple of things, not worth mentioning, that I would have done differently, but Ciprì is on to something. He’s full of fantastical fun that is more than likely to explode again and again.
I Love Italian Everything 