Thoughts on the cast?
My thoughts:
1. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi -- Behind the jolly facade of social obligations she perfectly conveys the weaknesses, the longing and the repressed desires of a woman who gave up her dreams and ended up losing her own identity. Palpable and detailed work where every uncertain gesture, stammered line reading and nervous grin speak volumes about the character's frail psychological state.
2. Paolo Pierobon -- There is almost a sense of danger when his unreliable character is briefly introduced and it's all due to his presence and delivery. Just two scenes but so well played.
3. Matilde Gioli -- Very charismatic and surprisingly natural work from a non-professional actress. She carries her segment admirably.
4. Fabrizio Bentivoglio -- A vivid and larger-than-life portrayal, very much like the clothes that Dino wears. Sometimes bordering on caricature maybe, but only for comedic purposes and always justified by the script.
5. Valeria Golino -- Not a demanding role but she really does the best she can with it, compensating the lack of dialogue with subtle expressions. Her naturally warm presence is also perfectly suited for one of the few positive characters in the film.
6. Alessandro Betti/Federica Fracassi -- More than characters these two are offensive caricatures and probably should have been left on the cutting room floor; nevertheless the actors perform their parts with much conviction and gusto.
7. Luigi Lo Cascio -- Again, not a demanding role but his attraction to Carla and wide-eyed idealism are entirely believable.
8. Giovanni Anzaldo -- Not bad but his acting tecnique is sometimes evident when he shares the screen with a non-professional like Gioli.
9. Guglielmo Pinelli -- OK but his limitations are clear in the more dramatic scenes.
10. Fabrizio Gifuni -- Embarassing work from an usually fine actor. The role itself may be one-note but there is nothing remotely human about the way this character is played: from the put-on deep voice to the perennially furrowed brows, the effort is obvious to the point of being distracting. Not just a fake and shallow turn but also a complete bore to watch.
Thoughts on the cast? Favourite performance? Feel free to list as many as you wish!
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