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FILMS Italy

Love and politics in Diverso da chi?

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Piero (Luca Argentero), openly gay and an activist for “alternative” rights, is running as the centre-left candidate for mayor of the small northern city of Udine. The current, extremely right-wing mayor builds walls to keep drug dealers and foreigners contained in their neighbourhoods (as has actually occurred in Padua). Adele (Claudia Gerini) is a family values moderate (though divorced for being sterile) running as his vice-mayoral candidate.

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(“Different from Whom?”), Umberto Carteni’s debut comedy produced by Cattleya and to be released by Universal Pictures on March 20 on over 300 screens, has a light touch in offering a snapshot of current left-leaning politics. Politics that have been torn asunder by irremediable internal contradictions, whose politicians copy reactionary ideals of the opposition while hesitant leaders proclaim ideals no longer understood by their electorate.

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As the film unfolds, however, it becomes a love story and nobly attempts to tackle clichés and prejudices. Piero seems to falls in love and even sleeps with Adele (pure science fiction?), even though he’s in a long-term relationship with Remo (Filippo Nigro). She re-examines her political convictions. He runs away, horrified by his "perverse deviations". Remo proposes an extended family with two fathers.

Everything flows with brio and intelligence, guided by an expert script, and audiences will surely appreciate the jokes (especially one about Barack Obama), situations and performances. For this comedy about modern Italian families despite the Vatican, emerging screenwriter Fabio Bonifacci consulted with GLB leader Franco Grillini while the producer pointed out that the film was approved by gay associations and the demanding Catholic Cinema Centre.

However, the ecumenism of not wanting to offend anyone notoriously has no bite. Nor does it have anything in common with satire, which foregoes political correctness and looks to maintain its independence and a healthy dose of wickedness.

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(Translated from Italian)

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