Mari del sud (2001)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Marcello Cesena

Writers:

Thomas Bahmann (original screenplay "Sudsee eigene Insel (1999)")
Marcello Cesena (writer)

Release Date:

12 October 2001 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A businessman is leaving for his family vacation in the South Pacific when he finds out that a rival has emptied his bank account...

Cast

Diego Abatantuono	...	Alberto Brogini
Victoria Abril	...	Sabina
Chiara Sani	...	Melania
Stefano Scandaletti	...	Rocco
Giulia Steigerwalt	...	Sandra
Antonio Stornaiolo	...	Giacomo
Clara Modugno	...	Mrs. Ines
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elda Alvigini
Valentina Andreatini
Tiziana Bagatella
Fiammetta Baralla	...	Mrs. Sciallero
Stefania Barca
Bruno Basile
Barbara Bouchet
Francesco Branchetti
Giuliana Calandra	...	Mrs. Tacchini
Enzo Cannavale	...	Sciallero
Valerio Capitolino	...	Carlo
Enzo Casertano
Milena Cestarello
Antonio Conte
Roberto Costa
Vivian De La Cruz	...	Mai Van
Giovanni Ferreri
Isa Gallinelli
Vanessa Gallipoli	...	Air Hostess (as Vanessa Galipoli)
Nando Gazzolo	...	Tacchini
Giulio Golia
Javier Rodriguez Grandes
Gianluca Gugliarelli
Enzo Iacchetti	...	Uomo delle previsioni del tempo
Paolo Lombardi	...	Bormioli
Simonetta Melmeluzzi
Lucia Ocone
Valeria Patera
Cristina Sabastianelli
Fabrizio Sabatucci
Vanessa Scalera
Ilaria Strazzullo

Also Known As:

Mari del sud (Spain)
Mi marido es una ruina (Spain)
Our Tropical Island (International: English title)
Una isola nei mari del sud (Italy)

Runtime:

Spain:100 min | Spain:94 min

Country:

Spain | Italy | UK

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Cattleya

Movie Connections:

Remake of Südsee, eigene Insel (1999)

Living with the Joneses

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Even though this is a 2001 film, we only caught up with it recently on a cable channel. The subject matter though, looks timeless compared to the current times the world is living. The affair of the American financier, Bernard Madoff, came to mind as Alberto, the successful financial executive, is swindled out of money he worked hard to have.

The realization that he has been had leads Alberto to despair, when he finds out he has no money to pay for his vacation, and that all his credit cards cannot be used at all. In Alberto's world everything has to amount to success, so how can he justify his own lack of business acumen by letting himself be fleeced by an unscrupulous man, to his own boss, or to his neighbor, who also happens to work for the same company and wants to get his job by whatever means? The solution is to spend the family vacation hidden in his basement!

Marcello Cesena, the director and co-adapter of this film, gives us a funny film about the pitfalls of losing one's credibility to his peers, as well as to his own family. The result is a movie that moves at a rapid pace. Best of all is Diego Abatantuono, an actor who we had only seen in more dramatic fare. As Alberto, he is a joy to watch; he is always resourceful, even at the worst moments. His wife is played by Victoria Abril, who doesn't have much to do in the picture.