SANTA MARADONA

TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER AT 9:30PM UGC SHAFTESBURY AVE SCREEN 1

Country Italy Running Time 96 mins Format 35mm Director/Screenplay Marco Ponti Producer Roberto Buttafarro DoP Marcello Montarsi Cast Stefano Accorsi, Anita Caprioli, Libero de Rienzo, Mandala Tayde Print Source Italia Cinema E am@italiacinematamtam.com

This promising comedy tells a story of two young friends daydreaming in Turin, and trying to start their professional life after university. Andrea (Stefano Accorsi) is 27 and insecure. He spends his days looking for a job and more often just killing time with his roommate, Bartolomeo (a brilliant performance by Libero de Rienzo), a self-styled literature critic who has an answer for everyone and every situation except his own. Their life appears funny and the chemistry between them is genuinely great but the reality behind it is very sad, and sometimes pointless. Without enough money to pay their rent, they spend their days avoiding the landlord and playing indoor squash. When they are caught by their landlord, the arrival of the uninvited but suddenly rich old flat mate Pier solves the rent problem.

As the boys' shared passion for football, girls and lazing about is interrupted by the trials of job-searching and the dif- ficulties of living, finding one's position in society, and pursuing your dreams, we enjoy a series of sharp-tongued dialogue-battles, which are the movie's strongest point. Book ended by two famous scenes (one of highlights of Diego Maradona and one of Butch and Sundance), this is a funny and clever movie, with a sharp and witty screenplay, that is 100% made in Italy. AK

Marco Ponti was born in Italy in 1967. He wrote the screenplays for If I Were You (2001) and Kissing Paul Newman (2001) before writing Santa Maradona and making his debut as director. His newest project is another screenplay, Playgirl.