A Neapolitan Spell

Last updated
A Neapolitan Spell
A Neapolitan Spell Locandina.jpg
Directed by Paolo Genovese
Luca Miniero
Written byPaolo Genovese
Luca Miniero
Produced byPaolo Occhipinti
Gianluca Arcopinto
Starring Marina Confalone
CinematographyAndrea Locatelli
Music by Enzo Avitabile
Release date
  • 2002 (2002)
Running time
98 min
Country Italy
LanguageItalian

A Neapolitan Spell (Italian : Incantesimo napoletano) is a 2002 Italian comedy film written and directed by Paolo Genovese and Luca Miniero, at their feature film debut. [1]

Contents

For her performance in this film, Marina Confalone won the David di Donatello for Best Actress. [2]

Plot

Little Assuntina, born into a Neapolitan family, as she grows up begins to speak with a strict Milanese dialect. This very strange anomaly throws the relatives into despair. Over the years, despite attempts to correct it, Assuntina with her language will worsen further, so much so that she will be given the nickname of "Cotoletta" and will refuse to adapt to any Neapolitan tradition, also refusing the typical sweets of the city for those of the capital Lombard.

All further attempts by family and friends will be in vain, as will the long stay that they will make her do in Torre Annunziata to let her study the true Neapolitan language with her uncles, commoners who speak only in a very narrow dialect.

When she reaches twenty, Assuntina becomes pregnant.

Cast

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Marriage Italian Style</i> 1964 film by Vittorio De Sica

Marriage Italian Style is a 1964 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica, starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Goretti</span> Italian virgin-martyr of the Catholic Church

Maria Teresa Goretti was an Italian virgin martyr of the Catholic Church, and one of the youngest saints to be canonized. She was born to a farming family. Her father died when she was nine, and the family had to share a house with another family, the Serenellis. She took over household duties while her mother and siblings worked in the fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neapolitan language</span> Italo-Romance language spoken in southern Italy

Neapolitan is a Romance language of the Italo-Romance group spoken in Naples and most of continental Southern Italy. It is named after the Kingdom of Naples, which once covered most of the area, since the city of Naples was its capital. On 14 October 2008, a law by the Region of Campania stated that Neapolitan was to be protected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduardo De Filippo</span> Italian actor, director and playwright (1900–1984)

Eduardo De FilippoOMRI, also known simply as Eduardo, was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works Filumena Marturano and Napoli Milionaria. Considered one of the most important Italian artists of the 20th century, De Filippo was the author of many theatrical dramas staged and directed by himself first and later awarded and played outside Italy. For his artistic merits and contributions to Italian culture, he was named senatore a vita by the President of the Italian Republic Sandro Pertini.

<i>Amen.</i> 2002 film by Costa-Gavras

Amen. is a 2002 historical war drama film directed and co-written by Costa-Gavras. Based on the play The Deputy by Rolf Hochhuth, the film examines the political and diplomatic relationship between the Vatican and Nazi Germany during World War II. It stars Ulrich Tukur, Mathieu Kassovitz, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Mühe, Ion Caramitru, and Marcel Iureş. It was a co-production between French, German, and Romanian studios.

Filumena Marturano, sometime performed in English as The Best House in Naples, is a play written in 1946 by Italian playwright, actor and poet Eduardo De Filippo. It is the basis for the 1950 Spanish language Argentine musical film Filomena Marturano, multiple Italian adaptations under its original title, and the 1964 film Marriage Italian Style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Éva Henger</span> Italian-Hungarian actress, television personality, and model

Éva Henger is an Italian-Hungarian actress, television personality, singer, model, internet personality, and former pornographic actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvatore Di Giacomo</span> Italian poet

Salvatore Di Giacomo was an Italian poet, songwriter, playwright and fascist, one of the signatories to the Manifesto of the Fascist Intellectuals.

<i>Assunta Spina</i> (1915 film) 1915 film

Assunta Spina is a 1915 Italian silent film. Outside Italy, it is sometimes known as Sangue Napolitano.

<i>The Decameron</i> (film) 1971 film by Pier Paolo Pasolini

The Decameron is a 1971 medieval erotic black comedy anthology film written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, based on the 14th-century allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio. It is the first film of Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, the others being The Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights. Each film was an adaptation of a different piece of classical literature focusing on ribald and often irreligious themes. The tales contain abundant nudity, sex, slapstick and scatological humour.

<i>Farinelli</i> (film) 1994 Italian film

Farinelli is a 1994 internationally co-produced biographical drama film directed by Gérard Corbiau and starring Stefano Dionisi, Enrico Lo Verso, Elsa Zylberstein, and Jeroen Krabbé. It centers on the life and career of the 18th-century Italian opera singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, considered the greatest castrato singer of all time; as well as his relationship with his brother, the composer Riccardo Broschi.

<i>Il Marchese del Grillo</i> 1981 film

Il Marchese del Grillo is a 1981 Italian comedic motion picture directed by Mario Monicelli, starring Alberto Sordi as the title character. The film depicts early nineteenth-century episodes in the life of a nobleman in Rome. Loosely based on folkloric accounts of the real Onofrio del Grillo, this character plays a number of pranks, one even involving Pope Pius VII. The famous line Io sò io, e voi non siete un cazzo, is appropriated from Belli's 1831 sonnet, "The Sovrans of the Old World".

<i>The Stolen Children</i> 1992 Italian film

The Stolen Children is a 1992 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. The film was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

<i>The Girl with the Pistol</i> 1968 Italian film

The Girl with the Pistol is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Monica Vitti won the David di Donatello for Best Actress.

<i>Tutta la città canta</i> 1945 film

Tutta la città canta is a 1945 Italian musical-comedy film directed by Riccardo Freda.

Marina Confalone is an Italian actress, screenwriter, theatre director, writer, holder of five David di Donatello awards.

<i>Notes of Love</i> Film

Notes of Love is a 1998 Italian-French romance film directed by Mimmo Calopresti. For her performance Valeria Bruni Tedeschi won the David di Donatello Award for best actress. The film also won the Nastro d'Argento for best script and the Ciak d'oro for best supporting actress.

<i>Così parlò Bellavista</i> 1984 Italian film

Così parlò Bellavista is a 1984 Italian comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Luciano De Crescenzo. De Crescenzo directed the film and also played the main role. For this film De Crescenzo won David di Donatello and Nastro d'Argento for best new director, while Marina Confalone won the same awards in the best supporting actress category.

<i>Gomorrah</i> (TV series) Italian crime drama television series

Gomorrah is an Italian crime drama television series created by Roberto Saviano for Sky Atlantic. Based on Saviano's book of the same name, the show premiered on Sky Atlantic in Italy on 6 May 2014. The series ran for five seasons totaling 58 episodes until 17 December 2021. The 2008 film of the same name is loosely based on the same book, but unrelated to the TV series.

<i>The Immortal</i> (2019 film) 2019 film directed by Marco DAmore

The Immortal is a 2019 Italian crime film directed by Marco D'Amore. The film is both a prequel and a sequel to the events after the third season of the TV series Gomorrah.

References

  1. Deborah Young (February 8, 2002). "Review: 'A Neapolitan Spell'". Variety . Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  2. Claudia Morgoglione (April 10, 2002). "Ai David della tradizione Ermanno Olmi batte tutti". La Repubblica . Retrieved 27 April 2016.