The Amazon series also represents the attempt to change the crisis of the cinema, to counter the pandemic troubles by trying new paths
The “Vita da Carlo” series is one of Carlo Verdone’s most personal works (ten episodes on Amazon Prime Video). As far as we know about him, here Verdone gets naked, smiling about his obsessions: the hypochondria that leads him to love a pharmacist, the constant change of the mobile number, the attempt to get out of his usual characters and make a arthouse film (one of his screenwriters encourages him towards a “Murnau-style” film), the relationship with Aurelio De Laurentis (disguised as producer Ovid), the shamelessness of self-irony (the scene with drunk Haber accusing him of indifference ) and irony (the talk show with Massimo Ferrero, called “viperetta” and the relationship with the Democratic Party). There is even a cameo by Roberto D’Agostino.
Written with Nicola Guaglianone, Menotti, Pasquale Plastino, Ciro Zecca, and Luca Mastrogiovanni, the “Vita da Carlo” series also represents the attempt to change the crisis of cinema, to counter the pandemic troubles by trying new ways, to deal with new modes of expression, to mix private life and fantasies. Mr. Carlo appears as a generous man and willing to take selfies on the street, to sign autographs, to comfort his best friend Max Tortora (who is fatally confused with Christian De Sica), while private life is marked by always the same rhythms and his obsessions. But everything takes a surreal turn when he gets the proposal to run for mayor of Rome: politics as a solution to personal problems. The writing of “Vita da Carlo” is very controlled: perhaps more courage was needed to get out of the bottlenecks of the self-portrait, and of the elegy for Rome, and rely on the rules of the sitcom. Moreover, a greater conciseness would have enhanced the rhythm and avoided some lengthyness. But there he is, Verdone, with all his bursting artistic personality.
November 8, 2021 (change November 8, 2021 | 19:39)
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