Mambo Italiano

I liked the movie for its real (though maybe enhanced for comedic value) portrayal of the complexities and dynamics surrounding homosexuality within a cultural/ethnic setting.

This movie could resonate just as well in any cultural setting because the underlying dynamics are similar. Sure, the script isn't great or the plot isn't outstanding, but the movie is funny, entertaining and strikes a personal chord with me.

I also found the colours to be very vivid and fresh, which added a nice visual effect to the entire movie. Overall, the comparisons to "Big Fat Greek Wedding" are valid and I can see how this is being portrayed as the gay version of that movie.

I watched this film at the cinema last year, and I found it very funny. As an Italian-born male, sentences like " Italians move out either when they marry or when they die" made me really laugh, because this is partly true! Nevertheless, I think there's something which needs making clear. The characters and situations portrayed in the film are credible and hilarious insofar as they're set in the Italian communities of Canada, USA or Australia. I worked for 4 years in the export department of a company making Italian espresso coffee, thus getting in touch with lots of Italians who had settled in faraway countries many years ago. What I noticed is that most of them retain a picture of Italy and a system of values which were real in the country they left behind years ago, but look old-fashioned and rather over-the-top in today's Italy. I think it's undeniable that ethnic communities abroad are more conservative and traditional than the countries they came from, as they cling to values that, though being "frozen" for them, have evolved in the meantime. So some characters and situations of the film appear exaggerated if compared with Italians of 2005, but are really amusing if set in the context of the life of Italian immigrants, who represent what we used to be a few decades ago. A light comedy, to be enjoyed without taking ourselves too seriously.

In this case truth is "funnier" than fiction. The premise of "Mambo Italiano" - that is, Italian families having to face the vagaries of reality - is certainly a truth, but being Italian-American and viewing this film with my own experiences at hand I can honestly say that this is no fiction. No fiction could be funnier than this. Even if this family's circumstances focus on dealing with the knowledge that their only son is gay, the premise is universal among Italians - life is filled with "catastrophes" but somehow we all survive and hopefully end up better for the process. Call it passion, call it pessimism, call it anything, just call it (this movie) funny. It is a comedy based on tragedy (from the family's point of view), a reverse kind of "Pagliacci", not dark and brooding but colorful (literally filled with color) and humorous - designed for a modern audience. Well cast, well acted, and worth seeing, "Mambo Italiano" can make you laugh and cry (but mostly laugh) at the same time. This is living, Italian style (replete with North American Italian "villas" and statuary). Some say it is a kind of spin-off of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and the protagonist Angelo even implies this at the very end of the film - confirming my impression that this is an honest, open and very enjoyable film.

Angelo wants to come out to his family, but they already drive him nuts with their old-world Italian values; can you imagine how they'd react? Angelo's boyfriend Nino, with whom he lives, is happy in their private little closet; he's not only Italian, he's a cop! Can their relationship survive? Can Angelo's sis keep their secret? Should she?

This gem of a film has been aptly compared to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding;" they share many themes and elements. MAMBO ITALIANO is every bit as good (if a bit more off-the-wall), a smidge more clever and two smidges funnier. There's absolutely no reason, from a quality standpoint, that it shouldn't have been just as much the sleeper hit "Wedding" was. It wasn't, of course, and we all know the reason why.

Needless to say, that's a shame, especially when audiences miss out on performances by actors like Paul Sorvino, who manages to raise the always-superb level of his work even a notch higher here, and is priceless in his scenes with Ginette Reno, who appears as his wife.

I really believe the day is not far off when another little picture like MAMBO will come along and break out just as "Wedding" did, overcoming in the process the cultural obstacle that kept predecessors from receiving their due.

In the meantime, it's very much worth our while to seek out all the MAMBO's we can at the indie houses and on video, and spread the word when we find them.

This film is about a second generation Italian immigrant having to come to terms with the drastic consequences of coming out of the closet.

This film is unlike any other film I have seen. It is very fast paced, each subplot don't last for more than 1 minute. There is a lot of self narrative. It also shows intersecting events and scenes of relevant characters, which is unusual for a comedy.

The sets are visually rich and appealing, and are always colourful and carefully constructed. The character development is great, and we care about the characters in the film. The script is excellent. The neurotic sister is hilarious. The arguments of the parents are very lively and funny, and are entertaining to watch. The costumes are nice and trendy, but not over the top.

In summary, this film is a lot of fun, very entertaining, humorous, visually appealing, and there is something for everyone! The only gay scene is a half a second kiss, which certainly will not hinder its crossover appeal to the mainstream. This film deserves more recognition than it gets!