MIO COGNATO
Italy, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Sergio Rubini, Luigi lo Cascio.
Directed by Alessandro Piva.
Mio Cognato is an entertaining character study, a focus on two men in southern Italy, one upright, one a thief – and the entanglements from their interaction when a car is stolen takes place.
Luigi lo Cascio was an emerging star in the early part of the century, Sergio Rubini is a veteran actor as well as writer and director, especially with his first film La Stazione. Rubini has appeared in many films including The Talented Mr Ripley and as Dismas in The Passion of the Christ.
The director, Alessandro Piva, is a writer and director as well as an actor. What he presents here is a colourful and amusing slice of life in southern Italy.
1. A popular Italian story? Drama? Comic touches? Realism?
2. The setting in Bahri, the modern city, the old town? The use of locations, especially in the old town, buildings, streets and alleyways? A sense of the past and the present? The coast? The musical score?
3. The title, the reference to Toni, to Vito? Their relationship with each other? Its development?
4. The opening, the baptism, the celebration? Toni as host, the people arriving, the ceremony, his long speech and the revelation about himself as a genial man with influence? Vito and his being upset at not being the godfather? The promised godfather not turning up? The food, the dancing, the celebration?
5. The change of mood, Vito finding that his car was stolen? His reaction? Toni as the insurance agent, wanting to do a deal, exasperated because Vito had gone to the police? Vito as a straightforward and honest man? His relationship with his wife? Her being Toni’s sister? At their house, his wanting to do something? Toni’s reaction?
6. Toni and Vito going to search for the car? The gradual revelation of Toni’s underworld connections? The visit to Saddam, to Sandokan, to Mariuccio, to Marlonbrando? The interactions, Vito being left out, Toni and his smooth patter?
7. The gradual emergence of the Bari underworld, the personalities, their power, restaurants and clubs, car dealerships? Information, phone calls?
8. The effect on Vito, his being out of things, gradually being suspicious? The aggression of Toni, hitting him, breaking his nose? Knowing an ambulance man, taking him to the hospital, the brace for better insurance? The effect of the injuries on Vito? His continuing to follow Toni, not going back home, hiding in the car?
9. Toni, it never being clear what exactly the pressure was, the irony that Vito’s car was stolen as a message for Toni, to stop him going to do deals with others? The symbol of the lemons – and finally the lemons and the exploding car? Toni and his giving a bit of information to Vito? Going to his girlfriend, the meal? Finally going back, the car restored? His letting Vito go home?
10. Vito, watching, growing in understanding, the injuries, the aftermath, his sense of humour – even admiration of Toni with his amoral approach, with the dealers, with the girlfriend, the meal? His driving? The delight in getting the car back?
11. Going into the car, opening the boot, the lemons, the explosion?
12. The moral judgment about Toni, about his underworld connections, his deals, his using Vito, Vito as victim?
