A married Sicilian baron falls in love with his cousin and vows to wed her, but with divorce illegal he must plan a crime of passion to get away with murdering his wife. [imdb]
Nominated for 3 Oscars:
Best Director: Pietro Germi
Best Actor: Marcello Mastroianni
Best Original Screenplay (WINNER)
Even though this is a 1961 movie, at the Oscars it competed as a 1962 film, so it was up against Lawrence of Arabia and To Kill a Mockingbird. And you know what? Judging by how much I enjoyed it, I actually choose it over the 2 previously mentioned! Divorce Italian Style is a killer comedy and so smartly written!
Mastroianni gives a very funny, light & believable performance! Of course, it helps that he has an excellent screenplay to work with! This Oscar win for writing is one of the most deserved this category has ever had. It's crazy sharp, just like the direction. The choices that Pietro Germi makes are impecable and the film has a very nice flow. All the nominations are worthy and I would've also given it a Best Picture nom, for sure. And the comedy: it's funny, smart, situation comedy. Not that the dialogue isn't perfect, but the story itself and the action bring the biggest laughter or appreciative smiles. And talk about the actress playing the wife: brilliant casting!
My rating for the film: 9/10. I would've gone for a different ending scene, but it's still the best film I've seen in a while. Doesn't disappoint!
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WOW. That's all I can say. Better than Lawrence? Was Mastroianni better than Peck and O'Toole too?
ReplyDeletewell, no he wasn't to me, because I prefer drama when it comes to performances. But for a comedy performance: it's gold. The highlights of the film are the screenplay and the direction. And (which I usually don't underline) the casting.
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