Il Più Grande Sogno (I Was A Dreamer), in competition in the Orizzonti category, is stronger than many films competing for the Golden Lion.
Il Più Grande Sogno, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
…Here’s the top 5:
1.Mirko Frezza, playing the movie’s main protagonist, says that the film is “loosely based on his life”, and though I’m still not sure to what extent, he did tell me that he’s done a little time in prison. The Mirko in the movie’s looking for a fresh start after a recent incarceration and he’s back in society with a goal: to win back the love and respect of his family. When he gets elected president of his neighborhood association he grabs on to the opportunity and makes it his personal shot at rehabilitation.
The Mirko in the movie and the Mirko in real life are an inspiration. We all make mistakes, but one that lands you in jail can be especially damaging, taking you away from your family and making it hard to get people to trust you when you get out. But Mirko’s strength and determination are a sight to behold.
2. Director Michele Vannucci is too young to be so smart. Honestly, I look at Michele and I think, “What the hell have I done with my life?” He’s not even 30 and he’s crafted a true piece of art, one that will be commercially rewarding as well.
3. Alessandro Borghi. Sigh. I am too old to be so obsessed with this handsome young movie star, but don’t let this stop you! He’s been ranked #25 on Ciak Magazine’s top 50 actors and actresses in Italy, he’s Numero 8 in the super cool Netflix movie Suburra, and he won the Nastro d’Argento “Revelation of the Year” Award last year. He’s talented, he’s so very good looking, and he’s a really nice guy.
He’s the real deal, and he does an amazing job playing Mirko’s best friend and ex-partner in crime in Il Più Grande Sogno. I asked Michele Vannucci how he managed to get such a big star in his movie, and he said that he agreed to do it two years ago; that he’d never be able to get him now. (This is a joke – they are close friends.)
4.The supporting cast out-performs any other film at the entire festival. I particularly liked Milena Mancini, in the role as Mirko’s wife. The emotion, the tenderness, and the sorrow in her acting is nothing short of spectacular.
5.It’s real. It’s authentic, it’s innovative, and it’s the cinematic embodiment of of what I love about today’s Italian cinema. What will Michele Vannucci do next? I am on the edge of my seat e “non vedo l’ora di vedere.”
I Love Italian Everything 