Nunzio

You might catch this captivating film on the late late LATE show some night, it doesn't pop up too often. The story of a mentally challenged grocery-delivery boy and the neighborhood of craziness that surrounds him, NUNZIO will stay with you long after you've seen it. David Proval gives an amazing performance as the title character. In fact all of the performances are right-on.

Like Cliff Robertson's "Charly" or Jackie Gleason's "Gigot", Nunzio tugs at your emotions and doesn't let go. Proval went on to star in the HBO series "The Sopranos".

When I was a youngster my best friend/next door neighbour's father who flew Canadian Forces cargo jets would take us along on 48 hr trips (often down to the States). This was I'm sure was highly against regulations and could have gotten him, who knows, maybe even thrown in jail, but he was half-pissed all the time so he had a few issues going on.

But to the point, I got to see a lot of films at an earlier age than I should have because once we got to the destination base he needed to go to the bar so my friend and I got dropped off to the base movie theaters that seemed no matter the base to run a 5 movie loop round-the-clock, and the movies were all classic grindhouse fare, Melvin Van Peebles and all the blaxploitation to follow after, Italian horror, Australian genre flicks, etc.

Being a big film buff probably because I got exposed to so much independent film as well so relatively young, I have one heck of a back catalogue to pick from, but "Nunzio" really stands out. I read in one of the reviews that it had some schlock in it, but from what I remember from that day when I lucked into seeing this fantastic film in a corrugated metal shed theatre in the NWT in Canada.

Something about the way the characters are written and in the dialogue, and of course the acting as well, but that dialogue, it really was incredibly engaging and sucked me into being so emotionally invested in the characters' lives, and even through some for-one-reason-or-another quite uncomfortable scenes to watch that out of all the similar-type movies I watched at those military bases only "Nunzio" stands out.

And it stands out even though beyond the general plotline I can't recall much detail other than 2 scenes, but how strongly I felt the emotions the screenwriter and director wanted me to feel, wow, I felt like a puppet on a string and this tugged at my heartstrings so very hard that just the thought of the movie finds those heartstrings reverberating over the years even still. I would be so happy to find a way to watch this in any format, I think I'd even buy an ancient VCR to be able to watch it, I loved it that much.

I remember seeing Nunzio on WHT (Wometco Home Theater) which was a pay TV service that pre-dated cable. The film left such an impression on me that I haven't forgotten it to this day.

I won't go into the plot as it's been covered here but David Proval's performance as a mentally challenged delivery boy is heartbreaking and pitch perfect.

His brother, played by the excellent James Andronica (who also wrote the script), loves Nunzio and protects him, as any big brother should.

While the script may be formulaic, it works.

David Proval and James Andronica are clearly committed here and the way they captured the lives of these characters was terrific. It feels very genuine and authentic as NYC is practically a character in and of itself.

If you can see this film (there are a few websites streaming an old WHT version, but the quality is poor), check it out, you won't regret it.

The fact that this movie hasn't been released on DVD/Blu-ray is very sad.

As other reviewers have noted, this is a formula picture that has been done before. That's not a mark against this little gem of a picture, just that it doesn't break any new ground.

David Proval, who would later go on to play Richie Aprile, the psycho mobster with the "Charles Manson" stare in HBO's The Sopranos, turns in a remarkable performance here as the mentally handicapped Nunzio.

A chubby, frizzy-haired bicycle delivery boy for a neighborhood grocer, Nunzio indulges in fantasies that he is a superhero. He lives a life marked with torments from the gang of deadbeats at the corner, overbearing concern from his mother and older brother, and general confusion about women and his burgeoning desires for them.

Although this film sets up several plot devices that could easily have gone "over the top", director Williams handles the story with a deft touch, never allowing the film to enter the realm of melodrama until the final climactic scene, which serves more as a release than a dive into the overly dramatic.

With a fluid story that moves at a good pace, terrific acting, and tons of spine shuddering 70s kitch (was that decade REALLY that awful for fashion?), this is a film not to be missed, if you can ever find it, that is.

I watched this movie years ago. It made a lasting impression on my mind. It shows how a brothers love can deflect the crap thrown by bullies at his mentally challenged brother. This classic could be remade. I am not sure how you would make it better, but, if it is brought up-to-date and put back into circulation that would be OK. The story line is the key. What a great eclectic group of people. The story does not fall short of showing that the Handicapped mean well and if asked can participate to a high level.

I loved this story and want to order a copy. It is a classic, just most people don't know it. GREAT MOVIE....Talented talented people. Find it, watch it and be humble...