Moviemov, Italian Cinema Now returns with Oscar winning film

July 24-27, 2014

Shang Cineplex, Shangri-La Plaza

Mandaluyong

Moviemov’s absence back in 2013 was deeply felt by film aficionados but this year, the much awaited Italian film festival makes a comeback this July 24-27, 2014 at its new home, the Shang Cineplex at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

In this year’s Moviemov, the Academy Award winning La Grande Belleza/The Great Beauty leads the selection of contemporary Italian films. Famed Italian film maker Ettore Scola’s works will be screened in the retrospective showcase of the festival. And probably the most awaited highlight of Moviemov is the appearance of Italian actors like the returning Andrea Bosca who will present the world premiere of his short film A tutto Tondo.

Aside from La Grande Belleza/The Great Beauty, the other contemporary films to be screened are Il Sud è Niente/South Is Nothing, Anni felici/Those Happy Years, Allacciate le cinture/Fasten Your Seatbelts, Il capitale umano/Human Capital, Smetto quando voglio/I Can Quit Whenever I Want, and Benur - Un Gladiatore in Affitto. The films to be shown as part of the Ettore Scola retrospective are the classics Dramma della gelosia/The Pizza Triangle, C’eravamo tanto amati/We All Loved Each Other So Much, and La Cena/The Dinner. There will still be special screenings for students, which comprises the educational component of Moviemov.

Joining Andrea Bosca are actresses Eleonora Sergio and Paola Minaccioni. Andrea Bosca will present the world premiere screening of his short film A tutto Tondo, also his directorial debut, at the festival. This special charity project born out of Bosca’s visit to Smokey Mountain and Tondo back in 2012 also stars Paolo Minaccioni and 2012 Moviemov guests Davide Iacopini and Salvatore Striano.

La Grande Belleza/The Great Beauty

During the press conference for Moviemov held at the Premiere Theatre of the Shang Cineplex, La Grande Belleza/The Great Beauty was screened. This award winning film directed by Paolo Sorrentino stars Toni Servillo as Jep Gambardella, a flash in the pan novelist, now cultural writer who indulges in the seemingly carefree and decadent life of a socialite in Rome. Earlier on in the movie, a scene during Jep’s 65^th birthday made for a very striking visual with all his fellow socialites partying like there’s no tomorrow. But this birthday spurs Jep to reassess his life and where it is headed. Somehow, the film seemed to head nowhere as Jep wanders through his empty life. He meets eccentric personalities like a performance artist who slams herself on the wall, a spoiled girl whose tantrum paintings sell by the millions, an elderly nun with a sleazy agent, among many others. As the film went on, I felt that Jep wanted to get a sense of his life but just couldn’t get a break: a brief fling ended abruptly, a search for closure involving a past love went unresolved, and the attempt to write the follow up novel was only hinted out.

Dr. Alfonso Tagliaferri, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Italy, mentioned that the film had mixed reactions in Italy although it practically swept all major awards abroad. I think that the film’s digs about life in Rome, politics, the art scene and even religion made this film hard to swallow by the Italians. But regardless of what the Italians felt about this, the film is still visually striking, like a love letter to Rome and it might have been Rome itself that is meant to be as the grande belleza.

Here is the screening schedule of Moviemov 2014 at the Shang Cineplex:

July 24, 2014

11:00 AM Premiere Theatre: Il Sud è niente/South is Nothing*
6:00 PM Cinema 2: Allacciate le cinture/Fasten Your Seatbelts
7:00 PM Premiere Theatre: Dramma della gelosia/The Pizza Triangle
8:00 PM Cinema 2: La Grande Belleza/The Great Beauty

July 25, 2014
11:00 AM Premiere Theatre: Anni felici /Those Happy Years*
4:00 PM Premiere Theatre: La Grande Belleza/The Great Beauty
6:30 PM Cinema 2: Il Sud è niente/South is Nothing
8:00 PM Premiere Theatre: C’eravamo tanto amati/We all loved each other so much
8:30 PM Cinema 2: A tutto Tondo (short film) to be followed by Anni felici/Those Happy Years

July 26, 2014
11:00 AM Cinema 2: Anni felici /Those Happy Years*
12:00 PM Premiere Theatre: La cena /The Dinner
4:00 PM Cinema 2: Il Sud è niente/South is Nothing
5:00 PM Premiere Theatre: Benur - Un gladiatore in affitto
6:30 PM Cinema 2: Smetto quando voglio/I Can Quit Whenever I Want
8:30 PM Cinema 2: Il capitale umano/Human Capital

July 27, 2014

11:00 AM Cinema 2: Il capitale umano/Human Capital*
12:00 PM Premiere Theatre: Benur - Un gladiatore in affitto
2:00 PM Cinema 2: Smetto quando voglio/I Can Quit Whenever I Want
3:00 PM Premiere Theatre: A tutto Tondo
4:00 PM Cinema 2: Closing Ceremony (Audience' Choice Award) 

* Limited seats due to educational block screening

Tickets:

Free admission. First-come, first-served basis.

For inquiries:

Shangri-La Plaza 370-2597