Loose Cannons (2010)

Turkish writer/director Ferzan Ozpetek (His Secret Life, Saturn in Opposition, Facing Windows, Sacred Heart, Steam:The Turkish Bath, etc) has created yet another sensitive, warmly humorous, intelligent movie in LOOSE CANNONS (MINE VAGANTI), a film he co-wrote with Ivan Cotroneo. The film is filled with an extraordinary cast of Italian actors, most of whom we do not know but who deliver some of the most memorable characterizations in recent years. The title for the film 'loose cannons' refers to an irresponsible and reckless individual whose behavior (either intended or unintended) endangers the group he or she belongs to. There could not be a better title for this film that examines family life in contemporary Italy.The film opens with a prelude of a beautiful woman in a bridal gown running across the fields toward the ancient house where she embraces a man Nicola (Giorgio Marchesi, watch his star rise!) and then is lead to her planned wedding to another man. The story then begins. Tommaso (Riccardo Scamarcio) is the youngest son of the Cantone family who own and operate a pasta factory in southern Italy. At a family dinner, parents Vincenzo (Ennio Fantastichini) and Stefania (Lunetta Savino )Cantone plan on turning over the factory to their two sons, Antonio Cantone (Alessandro Preziosi) and Tommaso Cantone. The younger Tommaso, who has returned home from business school in Rome for this dinner, has his own important news which he plans on divulging at that dinner. Beforehand, he tells Antonio his news. He is not in business school and is not at all interested in running the factory, leaving that to Antonio. Rather, he wants to stay in Rome to be a writer - he has submitted a manuscript of a novel to a publisher - but more importantly that he is gay. Tommaso is certain that their parents will respond with anger and be non-supportive. But before Tommaso can make his statement at the dinner, Antonio, who has been working at the factory for years, drops his own bombshell of news that HE is gay on the family, which results in Vincenzo disowning Antonio and having a mild heart attack. Tommaso feels that he has no other choice now but to keep quiet, stay in the closet, and remain at home to run the factory while his father recuperates. A beautiful worker at the factory, Teresa (Paola Minaccioni) though she has problems of her own, is supportive and close to Tommaso, giving the family the idea that all is 'straight' with Tommaso. But a visit from Rome by Tommaso's flamboyant gay friends - including Tommaso's lover, Marco (Carmine Recano) - may make life difficult for Tommaso as he tries to balance his priorities in life. His sister Elena (Bianca Nappi) reassures Tommaso that she has know of his sexual preference for years and loves him just the same. Tommaso's paternal grandmother (Ilaria Occhini) who started the factory, who is known as the loose cannon of the family and who has a long kept secret of her own, may have her own say in what happens in the family. The ending of the film draws all the conflicts to conclusion in a deeply tender fashion.The cast is large and consistently excellent. But it is Ozpetek's genius that shines though in controlling every aspect of this very rewarding film. Another treasure from Italy. In Italian with English subtitles. Grady Harp, June 12

Overall, not bad, but...There are two issues I had with the film. Number one: based on the trailer, I was anticipating a happy-clappy Italian comedy. Although the film has comedic moments, it is more a film about lost opportunities and regrets through to the very last scene. Comedy rarely comes into it, and by the end I was down-right depressed.Number two: was I right in assuming that the way that the main hub of the subject matter (a son's coming-out to his wealthy and successful family) was played out was out of step and out of date by a couple of decades? Certainly it is compared to English (and even! North American) films of the same ilk. Recently, I had a conversation with an Italian friend and questioned him on the perceptiveness of the Mine Vaganti screenplay. He confirmed that for southern Italy, the family's shock reaction was an accurate, expected and up-to-date portrayal - and wasn't the movie hilarious! I trust him on the accuracy of the portrayal. I still question the hilarity as I still believe there to be a lack there-of.However. With this new understanding of southern Italians in mind coupled with re-adjusted expectations of what kind of movie to expect, perhaps the film is worth a second look.

Having recently seen Loose Cannons and Animal Kingdon it was great to see such strong matriarchal figures in both films. Women of a certain age giving unbelievable performances in rather different circumstances and very different moral situations. I was so impressed with the grandmother in Loose Cannons and how her personal experience of thwarted love was keenly developed in her grandchildren and her encouragement to be their own people, especially words after at her funeral spoken by her.The grandmother in Animal Kingdom had a very different situation and was trying equally hard to manage her mentally unwell children after her only 'healthy' son is gunned down.The difference was opening up the world for her family or closing down to only what you know, ie the criminal world of Melbourne in the 1980's Both tremendous films and awesome performances from all the crew in both films, but I guess my star goes to Guy Pearce as the good cop in Animal Kingdom

I thought this was a fabulous film, really worth going to see. The acting was superb and it was beautifully shot. I thought the main storyline was great, to me it was really believable, obviously there were over the top elements to add comedy value, but even in this age there are parents who don't except their children being gay. However, whilst I thought the main story was great I didn't think the side story lines quite melded into the film, the story with the grandmother and Nicolo, and the other with Alba (don't want to give away too much, for me didn't quite work. I also think the story with the brother could have been explored more throughly. This film is well worth a couple of hours of your time, despite the ending I still came out smiling. For those of you who aren't too keen on gay scenes there is only one kiss in this film. This film is more about family, expectations and how we all strive not to disappoint our parents. Don't miss it.