I think outside Italy it's known as "Loose cannons". It's a good film, I liked it, as I do all Ferzan Ozpetek films, he's good! There were only a couple of things I didn't understand or like. Who was the married couple that appears from time to time? I'm not even sure they were a couple, because later she dances with another man. She looked unhappy and I don't understand why.
What I didn't much like was the ending.
The story: Tommaso (Riccardo Scamarcio) lives in Rome, he's gone there to study; he loves to write and also loves Marco. He's determined to tell his family that he's gay in the few days he'll spend in his family's house. They are a very traditional, southern family, in Puglia. He has planned to tell them at dinner, but when he's about to do just that, his brother Antonio (Alessandro Preziosi) unexpectedly sees his last chance and says it before he could say a word. Antonio confesses to his family that he's gay, that he loved a man, Michele, working for his factory and fired him to hide the relationship, but he still loves him. The family is in shock, nobody knew except his grandma (Ilaria Occhini). The mother (Lunetta Savino) won't believe it at first, and the father (Ennio Fantastichini) has a heart attack. Because of this Tommaso says nothing, he feels trapped, as if confessing now could kill his father. A significant scene is when the mother tries to make sense of it and remembers when Antonio gave her a present, a girl-present she believes now, but Tommaso corrects her: "I gave it to you" :lol:
Antonio is sent away, thrown out of the house and the company. The father hides in the house believing everybody knows and laughs at him. Tommaso takes Antonio's place in the factory working with Alba (Nicole Grimaudo, who knows why) who doesn't need to be told because she understands by herself he's gay. They talk a lot, become good friends, I believe she likes him a lot, despite all. Antonio doesn't have his happy ending with his love because after all he did through the years Michele doesn't want him anymore. Saying sorry later is not always enough, you know.
Marco and his friends come for a visit and are invited to dinner, and try their best to appear straight, knowing what had happened. There are of course some funny moments here, but I'm glad to say it's never vulgar, it's simple and light comedy, funny and lovely. Daniele Pecci plays one of the friends.
The night Marco knocks at Tommaso's door. This was my favourite scene. When Tommaso didn't open I was afraid he might be following Antonio's path and lose his love, but at the last moment he opens the door and runs to hug Marco, saying sorry and kissing him. I was relieved for them.
The friends and Alba spend some time together, then they go away. Tommaso confesses that he wants to write, not work in the factory. I loved when he said that sometimes in his life he had felt like going away to write the answer to some question or other and then show it to be read, meaning that writing is easier than talking and very much a part of him : I so related to this bit.
The grandmother has a secret too. She actually loved all her life her husband's brother, although it's not clear to me why she married him instead (maybe forced by the family, I guess), anyway one day she says she's so very tired and the night she dresses properly and eats lots and lots of sweets that are bound to kill a diabetic like her. Everybody cries when they find her. At the funeral Antonio is obviously there. Tommaso is the first to go to hug him, immediately followed by their sister, who doesn't care in the slightest about who he likes to sleep with. The brothers and sister walk side by side, and the mother can't resist any longer, as much she misses him, and goes taking Antonio's arm. The father says nothing but there's a feeling things will be a little better, maybe just because he can stand side by side with Antonio without screaming or fainting. The movie ends at a wedding - I think, a girl has a wedding dress on, but I have no idea who she is; it's the same girl we saw before, the one that looked unhappy and at first I had thought it was the memory of the grandma going hand in hand with the man she loved to marry his brother, but since they are at her wedding it can't be.
Anyway, people are dancing. Marco dances with Alba, and they both look at the man they love: Tommaso, while he looks at them: the woman he could have loved had he been straight and the man he actually loves.
Good, yes, but will he ever tell his family? Why didn't he dance? Will he go back to Rome with Marco? I guess he will, since he doesn't want to work in the factory. Anyway, that's just me, because it's not a bad ending per se, it's a symbolic scene when he stands there watching Marco and Alba dancing and looking at him and he has in front of him the two paths his life could take, but must not be confused with a choice on his part. Throughout the film there's a feeling of how easier his life would be if he was straight because he would love Alba and be approved by his family, but it's never a choice, because one doesn't choose who one must love.
It's a really good film, with sentiment and laughter. I liked it a lot.
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