Mambo Italiano

Reviewed by Vittorio J. Carli

for Reel Movie Critic

H½

Cast

Luke Kirby

Peter Miller

Paul Sorvino

Ginette Reno

Directed by Emile Gaudreault. An ethnic comedy. Rated R. Samuel Goldwyn Pictures. Running time: 88 minutes

"Mambo Italiano" is a desperately unfunny ethnic comedy that attempts to duplicate the critical and commercial success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The film was named after the catchy and danceable Rosemary Clooney tune, but it is clearly not worthy of the song.

It's about Angelo, a young would-be screenplay writer in Montreal. In order to find true love, he has to overcome several obstacles such as Italian family's outdated views toward same sex relationships.

In flashbacks we see that Angelo had a horrible childhood, and he was constantly teased by his classmates for being different.

In high school, even his only friend, Nino (played by Peter Miller) shunned him in public for not being part of the "in crowd." Years later, Angelo and Nino become lovers much to the horror of their traditional relatives. Pressures from the outside threaten to end the relationship.

The film could've transcended its rather mundane plot if there were actually some good gags in it. The screenplay writers rely too much on endless scenes of back slapping and accented yelling. "Mambo Italiano" exaggerates Italian idiosyncrasies so much that it makes Sicilians immigrants look like Neanderthals.

This is the second film I've seen in the last year that tries to put a gay twist on "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Family Affair gave it a Jewish lesbian twist, but it got more mileage out of the cultural implications of the situations.

The main problem with "Mambo Italiano" is that all of the characters are one dimensional and stereotypical.

When I was a child I lived in Roseland, which was then composed mostly of Italian-American immigrants. I never met any families as loud, vulgar, and witless as the ones in this film.

The cast is always competent, and far better than the material. Luke Kirby stands out as Angelo, the somewhat neurotic lead character. He is well supported by some fresh faces such as Ginette Reno who plays his somewhat manic sister and Sophie Loraine, playing a heterosexual female whom tries to convert Nino. Paul Sorvino (of "Good Fellas") does what he can with the role of Angelo's dad but the character's forgettable.

"Mambo Italiano" is a disappointing comedy, which never rises above the level of a mediocre sitcom. Every episode of "Will and Grace" is that I've seen was more clever and inventive than this film. I expect much more from a Chicago International Film Festival film.