Kiss Me, Guido

Who could say no to a movie that provides something for everyone! You've got gays, straights, hot italian guys, pretty ladies, comedy and romance, and of course, Pizza! Sometimes I think that my mother is obsessed with this movie, then I watch it again and remember how cute it is.! Kiss Me Guido is a film about people and differences in a gorgeously wonderful package, through gay and NY Italian stereotypes. Nick Scotti (Frankie) and Anthony DeSando (Pino) fill that need for us girls (and guys) crazy for those italian stallion types with hot bodies. Anthony Barrile (Warren) is fabulous and I think that anyone can relate to Warren, searching for love, friends, and professional satisfaction. I personally really relate to Molly Price's Meryl-- not just because we share a first name-- Meryl is a great character and Price plays her with a perfect combination of sweetness and bitterness. I love to sit down and watch Kiss Me Guido on a Saturday with family and friends.

A dumb as bricks Italian Frankie (Nick Scotti) unwittingly moves in with a gay guy Warren (Anthony Barrile). He doesn't know Warren is gay--he thinks GWM means "guy with money"!! He finds out and gets along with Warren...but he knows his family and friends won't accept Warren. What to do?

The jokes are obvious and there are some REALLY bad ones, but I still like this. It has stereotypes galore--Frankie's family especially. Frankie's dumb; his brother is seriously over-sexed (and dumb); his mother is fat, loud and obnoxious; his father is fat and always has stomach pains and the grandmother always dresses in black, is always at the kitchen table and doesn't speak a word of English!

Warren is also stereotyped--his apartment is immaculate, he has art paintings all over the walls and he LOVES Julie Andrews. He also has a very queeny (and very funny) gay best friend.

Still, I was giggling and laughing through this. The movie is so good-natured you can't be offended. And it IS a silly movie anyways. And it has a happy ending.

The acting is all pretty good if a little shrill. Scotti especially comes off well. He's also very handsome and we get a few shots of his muscular chest.

So, not good but fun. A true guilty favorite.

Best line: "You threw up on your shirt".

The situation of a straight young macho Italian, suddenly finding himself in a gay environment, has possibilities that were not explored. Scotti was good in the role, and the supporting cast did what they were supposed to to, but it just didn't click. I think that the fault lies in the script, which was funny at times, but rather patchy. I disagree with "Anonymous" of NYC who said that it was "moronic and one dimensional", but I do agree that it could have been better.

Stereotypes, full of them yes, but behind every stereotype there is a truth or two.... As a person who fits into the two main groups portrayed in this movie and who comes from New York City, I have to say one only need take a stroll through the Village or through the Bronx to see those stereotypes running around!

This movie was good fun, a farce, a case of mistaken identity--the little bits of Italian thrown in made me laugh and think of my own family and how often I heard some of the phrases used in it. Well, I certainly had a friend who was just like Terry and saw plenty of Dakotas running around too.

This little movie holds a mirror up to some who fit the stereotype and says "laugh at yourself" there is humor in life all around us. Note the lack of violence and the theme that the most improbable pair of people may just be able to find that they have something in common. It's not Oscar material--accept it for what it is and have a laugh. Oh yes, Nick Scotti ain't bad to look at either.

"Kiss Me Guido," written and directed by Tony Vitale, is a little fun piece set in New York's Bronx and lower Manhattan. The light comedy involves mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and mis-pairings, with somewhat stereotypical character types and situations. A sincere and energetic cast is headed by handsome Nick Scotti in an impressive comic performance, and all the players seem to be enjoying themselves with this little romp. I personally found it to be an amusing diversion.