Local film tops charts

by Gabriele Barcaro

13/11/2007 - Released last Friday by Medusa, Volfango De Biasi's Come tu mi vuoi [trailer] has ousted animated film Ratatouille from the top of the charts, clocking up nearly €2.2m its opening weekend, and recording the best per screen average of the week with €6,281. The teenage comedy remains audiences’ favourite, with leads Nicolas Vaporidis and Cristiana Capotondi confirming their appeal over younger audiences (especially when together) .

Although doing well, the other Italian films in the top 20 have grossed significantly less: with its €490,000 from this past weekend, Silvio Soldini’s Days and Clouds [trailer] is holding steady in sixth place. Released right after its Italian premiere at the RomeFilmFest, and distributed by Warner Bros Italia, the film will soon pass the €3m mark.

Debuting in eighth place with over €443,000, Roberto Faenza’s historical saga The Viceroys [trailer] (01 Distribution) has got the better of Dario Argento’s latest horror flick, The Third Mother [trailer] (Medusa). After a promising start driven by the strong advertising campaign at the RomeFilmFest, the master of terror must settle for ninth place (with €308,007) and a rather modest screen average (€1,453, the lowest of the top ten).

In 11th place now, Vincenzo Salemme’s SMS – Sotto Mentite Spoglie (Medusa) is hanging on. The film by the Neapolitan comic has exceeded expectations and with weekend figures of €187,000 has so far grossed over €5m.

Performing less well than expected, however, is the latest endeavour by brothers Carlo and Enrico Vanzina. Distributed by 01, 2061 – Un anno eccezionale (an ensemble comedy featuring, among others, Diego Abatantuono) is 14th with weekend earnings of €81,000 (for a total of nearly €1.8m).

Still going strong, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Universal) – the only European (and non-Italian) title of the top ten – is seventh with €483,000 over the weekend and an overall €4m, while Kenneth Branagh’s Sleuth [trailer] (Sony, 12th with €157,000) and Fatih Akin’s The Edge of Heaven [trailer, film focus] (BIM, 13th with €105,000) have been less impressive.

(Translated from Italian)