09/04/2008

The star of 2006’s Ti lascio perché ti amo troppo, Neapolitan comic Alessandro Siani (who with that film broke the box office of his city, before taking part in the latest Christmas blockbusters produced by Aurelio De Laurentis) is back in theatres with the romantic comedy La seconda volta non si scorda mai (“You Never Forget the Second Time”).

Directing, like the previous film, is Francesco Raniero Martinotti, who first came to attention at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival for his debut feature Abissinia. The director wrote the film with Siani and Francesco Albanese (who has a minor role). “It was teamwork,” said Martinotti, “the kind that they used to have in Italian cinema of long ago. I concentrated on the acting, which was much more contained than in the previous film”.

The actor and director met thanks to the intuition of Mario Berardi, the producer of the early films of Massimo Troisi, who Siani lists as one of his inspirations. Siani further says he considers vulgarity a shortcut to a laugh and loves “comics that show their humanity”.

The young lawyer who makes the main character lose his head is played by Elisabetta Canalis (known above all to television viewers). While she does not want to give up the small screen, the actress-presenter-calendar girl would like to appear more often in “roles that are not superficial and are challenging”.

Made for €2m, La seconda volta non si scorda mai was produced by Lunarossa Cinematografica and Mikado Film, which is releasing it April 11 on 200 screens. “We really care about this film,” said Mikado CEO Alessandro Usai, “and that it do well not only in Naples but throughout the entire country. Alessandro Siani is not only a stand-up comic but a true actor. This is a stake in the future”.

(Translated from Italian)