Film & TV

Italian Film Festival‏ Review: Marina

Opening this year’s Italian Film Festival is the Australian premiere of the biopic Marina, based on the life of 1950s Italian singer Rocco Granata.

 

LIFF_MarinaLaunching this year’s Lavazza Italian Film Festival is the Australian premiere of the biopic Marina.

Some may already be humming the tune of Rocco Granata’s smash hit of the 1950s. The Italian singer, songwriter and accordionist came to fame with his song Marina after a life of hardship compassionately revealed by director Stijn Coninx.

Unlike most other biographical films of famed singers and bands, Marina ends where Granata’s fame begins, with much of the story focussed on Granata’s father, Toto. As Italian immigrants in Belgium, the Granata family was poor and treated as second-class citizens. While Toto worked in the mines, his young son struggled for acceptance, romance and a new accordion which would begin his journey to success.

Marina is at times funny, often dramatic and occasionally, utterly heartbreaking. While we know where the story will ultimately lead, the path is not often a happy one although the tale is always engaging and carries with it an unfailing air of hope. The success of the storytelling is as much in the even direction as it is in the casting, with newcomer Matteo Simoni possessing all the looks, charm and talent to bring the singer’s youth to life.

As Granata’s father, Luigi Lo Cascio is stellar, dominating the screen with his bullying presence yet presenting a loving, broken family man simultaneously. His deep, intricate portrayal outshines everything, including the warmth of Donatella Finocchiaro’s performance as his wife.

Far from being a typical musical biopic, Marina stands out for its balance of excellent family drama, historical context and teen dreams for a better tomorrow… and of course, the song.

Marina opens the 2014 Lavazza Italian Film Festival on 2 October at 7pm, with additional screenings on 4, 7, 10 and 17 October. It’s in Italian and Flemish with English subtitles.

Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet

Rating out of 10:  7

The Lavazza Italian Film Festival runs from 2 – 22 October 2014 exclusively at the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.

 

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