Mambo Italiano

This is the one film of the year I would recommend to anyone who wants a good laugh. Ignore the po-faced people who did not enjoy it and prepare yourself for an over-the-top stereotypical portrayal of "chaotic yet serene" ethnics in the wrong province in the wrong country. It is well-scripted and well-edited and the timing of the actors and director never fails. If you want to find out about real gay life or Italian Quebeckers, this is not the film to see; it is just an excellent comedy with plenty of gems - and good comedies are few and far between nowadays.

I decided to see this film because I had nothing else to do. I wasn't expecting much more than gay stereotypes and ridiculous humor. However I discovered just the opposite.

I have heard comparisons to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", but the only similarity I see is in the stereotypical presentation of nationalities. However, these stereotypes aren't offensive, but more so delightful and some what sweet.

Angelo (Luke Kirby) is presented with just enough humor, but more so just enough heart that it makes the character beleiveable. For once gays are not presented as obnoxious drag queens or someone dying from AIDS. In fact, the two latter factions are not even present in the film. Instead it focuses on one mans humorous journey of self discovery in both relations to his family, partner, and his own sexuality.

At the end of the film, you leave feeling very happy. Sure everything turned out for the best in the end, but sometimes we need films like this to remind just how fun and quirky life can be at times.

Unlike some other commentators, I knew nothing about this film except it's a comedy about gay men. So I didn't expect much, but got all the more! First of all, I was glad to see that the main character was neither the classic handsome Hollywood macho, nor a feminine gay man but just an average-looking young guy. The other guy does look more cliché, but then he's the one who ends up in the closet, feeling guilty about being gay. The acting is superb throughout the film.

Someone commented that it's not all that funny. Well, it's true - coming out and breaking up with family or your lover are always painful, and I don't like films which ignore this side of the story. If you're deeply touched by Angelo's story, then it has performed the task such films, I think, are supposed to do: to make the audience more sensitive to gay people's issues. At the same time, though, it's pretty funny - just like your own coming out is often funny looking back. The confession scene is hilarious, and I laughed my heart out at the gay helpline scene - working for a GLBT helpline myself, I can assure you: this is just as distorted as the image of the Italian community. (We could use that scene for training purposes, though: what not to do...)

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.

This very clever and fun little film has had more off-base reviews written about it than any film in history. Way too many reviewers react with horror at - gasp - stereotypical representations of Italians. They neglect the fact that in actual fact the Italian-ness is 100% of the charm and beauty of the film, and that not one of the Italians are not people we have all seen in real life. They also neglect the fact that Italian culture and tradition has seldom looked so good or as real as it does in "Mambo Italiano." The Italian sister is heroic in her actions, and the Italian parents who come around in he end are just like parents of ANY nationality. I really fail to see what all the squawking about "negative stereotypes" is all about.

As a Southerner and as a gay man I know something about stereotyping. All groups get stereotyped. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it is the ONLY representation of a group that society ever sees. We all need to see the true diversity of any group. I think we have all seen plenty of other Italians and gay persons now, so we don't have to worry that a viewer will see this movie and assume that all Italians and gay men are like the folks in "Mambo Italiano." But frankly, if they did, I think they would have rather positive images of Italians. Unfortunately they would leave the theater thinking that half of all gay men get married to women in order to hide the fact that they are gay. Luckily I suspect most folks know this is not the case, though it certainly does happen, since society still makes it impossible for some of us to stay in certain professions and be gay at the same time (cops, firemen, coaches, soldiers in the U.S., pro athletes...).

"Mambo Italiano" is hilarious and light-hearted. It is a big mistake to try to read too much into it. Just sit back, relax, and laugh. It is one heck of a clever, funny little film, with a surprise ending. Betcha can't guess how it ends!