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FOR ROSEANNA (M).
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Not since Harold And Maude has there been such a deliciously funny black
comedy about death.
Marcello (popular French actor Jean Reno,
from Mission: Impossible, etc) owns a small restaurant in the tiny
Italian village of Trivento. His wife Roseanna (Oscar winner Mercedes
Ruehl, from The Fisher King, etc) suffers from a degenerative
heart disease, and her one wish is to be buried in the local cemetery next
to her deceased daughter. But space is at a premium in the already
overcrowded cemetery, with only three plots left. Despite Marcello's
pleas, embittered wealthy landowner Capestro (Luigi Diberti)
refuses to sell the church some of his vacant land adjoining the cemetery.
The reasons for Capestro's selfish actions are buried in the past, as
Roseanna rejected both him and his wealth in favour of a more simple but
honest life with Marcello. Marcello desperately tries to prevent anyone
else in the town from dying before Roseanna, which leads to some hilarious
situations.
In the wrong hands, For Roseanna could have easily
descended into bad taste. However, the off beat and original scenario
crackles with a sparkling, infectious humour and winning style that
enables the audience to laugh at some of its more outrageous and appalling
moments, such as suicide, and Marcello's ingenious attempts to hide the
body of a prominent citizen who has inconveniently died in a car accident.
For Roseanna is wonderfully scripted by veteran tv comedy
writer Saul Turteltaub (who has written and produced over 30
sitcoms including Love American Style, etc), making his feature
film debut. British director Paul Weiland's first film was City
Slickers 2, but here he finds an assured mix of wicked black humour
and a more physical brand of comedy. Despite its bizarre plot, however,
For Roseanna is essentially a romantic comedy, and Weiland's
slick direction manages to capture the whimsical tone of the material.
Weiland has assembled an international cast who manage to
capture the off- beat tone and frantic pace of the farcical material.
Reno is wonderful as Marcello, bringing a manic energy to his
performance, which is the centre piece of the film. Ruehl manages
to suffuse her terminally-ill Roseanna with a quiet strength, passion and
thirst for life that enriches the character. For Roseanna is
dedicated to Mark Frankel, the young British actor who, ironically,
died in a motorcycle crash soon after completing work on the film.
For Roseanna was shot on various picturesque locations in
Italy, and cinematographer Henry Braham gives the film the glossy
look of a postcard, and it will have many within the audience planning
their next holiday even before they leave the cinema.
*** At Village, the Rivoli, Dendy Brighton from August 21.
©Greg King 1997 Melbourne Australia
You can send any comments or queries directly to Greg King
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