Customer Reviews

Mambo Italiano

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Mambo Italiano" is a sweet movie about an Italian family having to deal with their gay son as he comes out to them. It's also a sad movie about a mother that cannot deal with her son's homosexuality and a son that denies his passion for men in order to please society. It's also a funny movie that plays on all the stereotypes of gays and Italians (yes, unfortunately stereotypes do draw laughs.)

The thing I like about this film is the fact that not everybody gets a happy ending. Two gay men and their respective families end up in two different paths. One is the path of honesty, honor, pride and love while the other is the path of shame, guilt, pretense and hypocrisy. Such are the two main paths in life and I am glad they were pronounced in the film.

The thing that bothered me was that the movie tried hard to be Italian! Over-the-top performances by the parents were at times embarrassing to even watch on the screen.

The most powerful scene in this film, in my opinion, is the scene where Angelo confronts his parents and the mother of his lover, Nino, about their denial and selfishness in trying to prevent him from living his life. This is a scene that will resonate with all of us, gay or straight.

I recommend that you see it with a loved one so you can share the laughs, the tears and the love.

I read some reviews about this film when it was released that called it the [homosexual] "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". And while it plays a little too heavily on the Italian-american stereotype, it is a charming film about a young man coming to terms with who he is and his neurotic family's response.

Angelo is a nice young man who was always picked on in school, even by his one-time closest friend, Nino. As adults, Nino and Angelo are reunited and become lovers. Everything is perfect for the young couple until Angelo decides he wants to come out to his family. Once Nino's mother finds out, things begin to unhinge. It is easy to root for the once ostracized Angelo, who always took the abuse of others while keeping his sexual orientation private. Anyone who has felt outcast or different in their lives will be able to understand his situation and determination to live his life honestly and openly.

This is not a perfect film but it does have its touching moments and enough laughs to keep you interested. Though I didn't like it as much as "Greek Wedding", I still think it is worth watching.

Mambo Italiano is first and foremost a comedy about the gay, Italian-(North)American experience. It's main premise centers around the all important Italian family dynamic making the family proud and being proud of the family even in times of conflict - which can be quite frequent. The characters of this comedy start as stereotypes but ultimately are very real people. The performances by the actors are uniformly strong. The film overall deals with very real, very serious issues of coming out gay in a straight, unaccepting environment. But the film is first a comedy that deals with these issues with outrageous humor. The movie sticks to task and remains tight. Unlike other recent hit indi ethnic dramas, Mambo does not rely on a "wedding device" to pull at your heart and draw you in. It entertains and touches by depict a real family dealing with real issues with great humor. Lastly the lush, technicolor set designs are enough reason to see this film, but it remains a must for any gay, Italian-North American or for anyone who loves being part of a family.

This does remind me of "My Big Fat greek wedding" without seeming like a ripoff to me. My friends and I were very entertained and laughed out loud several times. I cannot imagine anyone not liking this movie unless you were looking for a political statement or some deep message. It is just a cute well-acted funny movie with a "coming out" theme among all the other relationships, and sometimes that is enough!

Gay Italians coming out of the closet? Dysfunctional Italian families? Sound all too familiar? Well, what surprised me the most about Mambo Italiano was its uniqueness and originality. Granted, there is nothing new under the sun, but Mambo combines elements of Maurice (gay men trapped by social convention), Moonstruck (Italians in love), and even The Way We Were (unrequited love) in a manner that is fresh and fun. Billed as a comedy (and funny, indeed), Mambo never forgets its fundamental and powerful messages: the importance of family, of being oneself, and of fighting social convention.

Angelo, our lovable lead, grew up in a stereotypical Italian family. At school, he is taunted for being a "fag" and even abandoned by his best friend Nino. At that point, his only joy in life is his Aunt Yolanda. Years later, he becomes a travel agent and does what no single Italian does: move out of his parents' home. By chance Nino, now a hunky policeman, re-enters his life. Nino moves in with Angelo and they become lovers. The conflict begins because Angelo does not want to stay in the closet and live a lie. Nino prefers the closet. Angelo tells his parents what is going on and all hell breaks loose.

In comedies, I always expect the happy ending. But Mambo instead follows the path of Maurice and The Way We Were. In The Way We Were, we know Streisand is madly in love with Redford, but we're never quite sure if Redford feels the same way for Streisand. The same is true of Angelo and Nino. Angelo is head over heels over Nino, but we're never quite sure how Nino feels for Angelo. Remember the final encounter between Redford and the teary-eyed Streisand? I did when I saw the final scene between Nino and Angelo.

In short, I recommend this movie. Well-acted, funny, moving, and realistic, it is a worthy addition to any DVD collection (not just the gay man's).

Let me start with "I liked this movie." It includes every stereotype of Italians you can think of (well, none of the mob stuff), and much of the content of many a gay movie. It is nothing new, but you laugh a great deal. The odd thing about it is that I laughed through the movie, yet it left me feeling oddly sad. Of course there is a happy ending, but not the one you expect. Maybe more realistic. And, as real life so often is, a bit bittersweet. Watch it with a friend - you may be able to have a very interesting conversation afterwards - and you will already have had a good laugh.

I can't understand the reviewer who thought this movie was boring -- it passed in a flash for me. It's the story of a gay Italian man who leaves his family because they don't understand, has a relationship with another Italian man who gets freaked out about it, and then not only finds himself, but makes his parents proud of him. Absolutely brilliant performances by the actors, particularly the woman who plays the man's sister and tries to help him in a sort of psychiatric way. I can recommend this film to anyone at all, no matter if they're second-generation Italians in the States or a European like myself. Brilliant!

I'm not going to review the plot... amazon provides a decent one. I'm just going to supply my thoughts on the film.

I first watched Mambo Italiano with my Sicilian mother and both of us almost fell off the couch laughing as we could relate to the characters because he Italian families featured in this film reminded us of our own Italian family... and Gino's mother is the classic Sicilian older woman (she's a lot like my aunts). The plot is out there but not far fetched. It really captures what growing up first generation Italian-American is all about (even though the film is Canadian). Just like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you don't have to be of the culture (Italian, or GLBT) to understand the humor, you just have to be opened minded as it is a GLBT film. I've recommended it to many friends and all have thanked me profusely for the recommendation after they viewed it. But I might add, the film is filled with great one-liners that you might need to be Italian to understand.

Also, I think Paul Sorvino gives a great performance. He plays the father so well, it reminded me of my Roman father. All the characters are great, but Sorvino gives a very convincing performance albeit a comical one. When he says "No one hates my job more than me!" I fall over laughing because I can picture my own father saying that!

Whether you're Italian or not, this movie is a must have and I totally recommend picking it up and viewing it multiple times! It will not fail to make your stomach hurt from laughing.

The 2003 comedy "Mambo Italiano" is a coming-out film about two young Italian men named Angelo Barberini (Luke Kirby) and Nino Paventi (Peter Miller) who both grew up and live in Canada. Directed by Émile Gaudreault and written originally as a play by Steve Galluccio & Émile Gaudreault, the film begins with Angelo's description of his childhood (the young Angelo played by Michael Romano) in which he and Nino (the young Nino played by Mathieu Major-Langevin) were best friends, but as they grew older, Nino spent increasingly less time with Angelo until he didn't want to be with Angelo at all. It wasn't until both were adults that their paths crossed again: Angelo wanting to be a writer, but working as a phone-in travel agent, and Nino as a policeman. To Angelo's surprise, Nino initiates a more intimate relationship than Angelo would have ever expected. After the two move in together, Angelo wants to come out to his parents, Gino Barberini (Paul Sorvino) & Maria Barberini (Ginette Reno), and announce his relationship with Nino. However, Nino, who fears being ostracized by his mother, Lina Paventi (Mary Walsh), and his fellow police officers, wants to keep their relationship a secret, as does Angelo's obsessive sister Anna Barberini (Claudia Ferri) who inadvertently discovers their relationship. Undeterred, after Angelo comes out to his parents, Nino moves back home with his mother and starts to date the obnoxious woman Pina Lunetti (Sophie Lorain) to the delight of his mother Lina, but to Angelo's dismay. Will Gino & Maria be able to accept their gay son? Will Angelo and Nino get back together, or will they move on with their lives? Will Angelo aspire to being something greater than a phone-in travel agent? You'll just have to watch this sometimes whimsical and always entertaining film to find out!

With an entertaining story & dialog, interesting characters and a good dose of humor, "Mambo Italiano" is a fun and engaging film to watch. The most memorable acting came from Paul Sorvino, Ginette Reno, Mary Walsh and Claudia Ferri. Other memorable characters include Angelo's Aunt Yolanda (Tara Nicodemo), Rosetta (Pierrette Robitaille), Giorgio (Dino Tavarone), Alicia (Ellen David), Raymond (Shaun Balbar), Steve (Matt Holland) and the woman seeking help (Lisa Bronwyn Moore). Memorable scenes include Nino & Angelo's camping trip, Anna's frequent psychiatrist visits, the gay help line, Gino & Maria's discussions and the closing scenes. Overall, I rate "Mambo Italiano" with 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it. It is well worth watching at least once.

A movie about two Italian families with (gasp) gay sons, which as I understand it from the movie is not a good thing if you're Italian. But as the movie goes on Maria and Gino begin to accept Angelo as being gay and are actually quite proud of him. I quite enjoyed this CANADIAN made movie, in which most of the stars are Canadian. I would recommend this movie for anyone who needs to laugh, and as you can see from other peoples reviews you don't have to be Canadian or Italian to enjoy it.