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RELEASES Italy

Protests surround Amici miei, Cortellesi plays an escort in Nessuno mi può giudicare

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It comes out tomorrow, March 16, on 500 screens and, besides any possible critiques of the film itself, will an Internet petition manage to create a boycott of Amici miei - Come tutto ebbe inizio [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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? Directed by blockbuster master Neri Parenti (Natale in Sudafrica [+see also:
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film profile
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), the prequel to the Mario Monicelli’s historic My Friends continues to spark protest among diehard fans of the legendary director, who passed away last November, and his hit film of 1975 (and its 1982 sequel).

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Participants are increasing by the hour on the Facebook page "Giù le mani da Amici miei", which so far counts 60,000 members united against the "desecration of a masterpiece" who are calling for a boycott.

"[My film] is an act of love," say the director in his defense. "Towards Monicelli’s original film, towards my native city, Florence, and to the screenwriters of that era, Piero De Bernardi, Leo Benvenuti and Tullio Pinelli, who also wrote the film story for this new film."

Set in 15th century Florence, which was reconstructed at Cinecittà Studios in a space of over 20,000 square meters, Amici miei - Come tutto ebbe inizio stars Michele Placido, Giorgio Panariello, Christian De Sica, Massimo Ghini and Paolo Hendel as a group of rambunctious middle-aged trying to prolong their youth.

"I went to dinner with Monicelli many times while I was shooting the film, but he never said anything about it, he had too much respect for the work of others to criticize it", explains Placido. Hendel added Monicelli himself told people never to take anything too seriously and when the actor told him about the project, the unforgettable director said, "Just so long as the story works and the film makes people laugh.”

That may be, but Monicelli’s name doesn’t even appear in the film’s credits. "I knew Mario very well", says Parenti, "and I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted a dedication without anyone asking his permission."

Produced by Aurelio and Luigi de Laurentiis, Amici miei - Come tutto ebbe inizio is distributed by Filmauro.

Also hitting 400 Italian screens tomorrow is the comedy Nessuno mi può giudicare [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(“No One Can Judge Me”), the directorial debut of screenwriter Massimiliano Bruno, starring Paola Cortellesi and Raoul Bova.

Cortellesi plays Alice, a penniless widow who in order to maintain her son becomes an escort. A subject rather topical in Italy today. The film is distributed by 01.

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(Translated from Italian)

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