20/10/2009

An ensemble comedy that interweaves the stories of four couples on the eve of their weddings, and their families, Oggi Sposi [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is the fifth feature film by Luca Lucini, one of the most successful directors of the Cattleya stable.

Although the script was written by three writers (Fabio Bonifacci, Fausto Brizzi and Marco Martani) Oggi Sposi is one of Lucini’s less original comedies. It’s mostly slapstick, and not in the best sense of the word as the effect is for the most part achieved through caricatured characters and classic stereotypes of “pre-wedding” events.

Like the one played by renowned actor Michele Placido – father of the protagonist, police officer Nicola (Luca Argentero) – who speaks in his native Apulia dialect. The film reflects our social times but is overly superficial in describing human and sociological situations. Such as the difficulty of intercultural integration: the boarish, ignorant and bumpkin Apulian family does not accept becoming relatives with the sophisticated Indian family of their son’s fiancée (Moran Atias, the Israeli actress of Paul Haggis’ Crash).

As well as the current unemployment issues: Salvatore (Dario Bandiera)/Chiara (Isabella Ragonese) comically live out the drama of not having enough money for their own nuptials so devise a plan to crash another couple’s lavish wedding. Or the “wedding of the century” between millionaire financier Panecci (Francesco Montanari) and TV soubrette Sabrina Monti (Gabriella Pession).

Everything gets solved in the most reasonable of happy endings. Oggi Sposi does evoke laughs, and the actors worked hard to maintain the film’s pervasive light tone, and freely admit to having had “a lot of fun” on the set.

(Translated from Italian)