Breakfast Cinema with “La Bella Vita” by Virzì

The Sweet Life by Paolo Virzì will be the next film to be screened for CINEMA A COLAZIONE Season 2, a film series organized by the Centro Studi Commedia all’italiana, 50&Più Università di Livorno, FiPiLi Horror Festival, Circolo KInoglaz, and Erasmo Libri, with the contribution of the Municipality of Livorno. The film will be introduced by film critic Fabio Canessa.

To date, after five films, the average number of paying spectators per screening has been 126 people.

The Sweet Life (Italy 1994 – 1h37m) is a drama film from 1994, directed by Paolo Virzì, starring Claudio Bigagli, Sabrina Ferilli, Massimo Ghini, Giorgio Algranti, Emanuele Barresi, Paola Tiziana Cruciani, Ugo Bencini, Mario Erpichini, Raffaella Lebboroni, Roberto Marini, Silvio Vannucci.

In 1989, Bruno Nardelli, a worker in a steel mill in Piombino, married to Mirella, a cashier in a supermarket, leads a peaceful married life. But one evening, during a performance of a rudimentary play, proposed by Gerry Fumo, a local television presenter, Mirella is fascinated by Gerry’s appearance and persuasive manners. After getting to know him, Gerry in turn seduces her and courts her persistently. With her husband’s new situation, reduced to being on social security due to the crisis in the steel mill, disillusioned and demotivated by the false promises of the unions and the failure of the strikes, and less attentive to his wife along with their dreamer friends Renato Mansani and Luciano Batoni, they are looking for an alternative to their own inertia, Mirella gets involved in a passionate affair with Gerry, using tricks and deceits against her unsuspecting husband. When Bruno, suspicious due to the insinuations of Rossella, a union activist who has been infatuated with him for some time, starts spying on Mirella and discovers her one evening, in the car with Gerry, the breakdown with his wife becomes inevitable. It is the farewell evening between Mirella and the vain Gerry, but Bruno does not know this and does not believe Mirella’s confession and explanations, inviting her to leave instead. The woman walks away but far from satisfied with her new life with Gerry – who is also in trouble due to the financial crisis – and proves to be complaining and lacking initiative, decides to return to her family on the Isle of Elba. Bruno, along with his friends who have become more realistic, decides to work in a beach establishment. Bruno and Mirella keep in touch through letters, in which they confide in each other about their respective experiences.

Paolo Virzì is an Italian actor, director, producer, co-producer, writer, and screenwriter. He was born on March 4, 1964, in Livorno, Italy. In 2017, he received the award for Best Director at the David di Donatello for the film Like Crazy. From 1995 to 2017, Paolo Virzì has won 9 awards: David di Donatello (2010, 2017), Nastri d’Argento (1995, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016).

Fabio Canessa, adviser to the Ministry of Culture, film critic for Il Tirreno, collaborator on television shows and theatrical performances, recently wrote about Pasolini and Anna Magnani.