Everybody's Fine

EVERYBODY'S FINE (Stanno Tutti Bene)
DIRECTOR:             GIUSEPPE TORNATORE (also wrote the story)
COUNTRY:             ITALY (1990)
MUSIC: Will we ever find another Italian composer like ENNIO MORRICONE.....he's in every Italian movie...
CAST:                     Marcello Mastroianni
SUPER FEATURES: The one and only Marcello Mastroianni

Compared to THE ICICLE THIEF, this is not a better film, or any recent italian films shown here recently. And only because THE ICICLE THIEF has a funnier story.

But, STANNO TUTTI BENE, has the best showcase for ACTORS.

Marcello Mastroianni, has been around for what it seems like ages. He is usually good, and more often than not a bit boring. The Italian stallion who bags all the women, and gains it all, and then squanders it before the ending and has to return to his unsatisfactory situation with his wife. And finally, he gets a role that he can showcase, that he is no slouch of an actor.

Playing a Sicilian father of five children, whose wife just recently has passed away, he decides to take advantage of the old folks pension plans and goes on a trip through out Italy, to try and visit his children. But as an aging man, little does he know that his family doesn't want him around, and in fact, hide a lot from him. He had some tremendous expectations for his children, and tried to get them the best positions available, in order to insure that they would succeed. None of them do. And four of them are struggling to make ends meet, and not having an easy time of it. They tip each other off, so they won't be home when dad arrives, or will try to make arrangements to make sure he doesn't notice their sad situation.

And by the end, it all has to come to a halt, and he is told by one of his children, at a dinner for the whole family ( only two sons came ) that one had died, and that they all were having a hard time. Dad finds a reason to not accept the death of one of his sons, and has a small stroke. He goes to the hospital where they all visit him. The young grandson has gotten a girlfriend pregnant and he dishes out one last piece of advise to the youngster. This time the grandson follows the advice and the film ends with the old man standing at his wife's gravesite telling her that all
was well. He means well. And he wants his wife to be happy.

This film, is both about the old age neglect, as it is about the oldsters inability to accept the life of the young ones, they raised. And invariably,
in all societies, the children end up paying a much harder price for surviving. Marcello Mastroianni, is outstanding, and deserves the accolades. As the old man, who talks to himself, and reasons every thing, and is rather congenial, he stands out. And in the process, 'buries' his children, because he has strength where they do not.

Written and Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, who can't escape the gags through out the film. And there are some really hilarious moments for a few of us, who enjoy seeing the unexpected. The Mona Lisa joke is one of the best, and really sums up the whole thing. They not only don't know what they are talking about, they don't even see where they stand in time.

WORTH SEEING. Gags are totally unexpected and will surprise you. Very nice little film, and it is too bad that some of us have to enjoy it
with subtitles, because there are a lot of small Woody Allen type little gags all over that are harder to see if the subtitles.

4.5 GIBLOONS