Mes chers amis
A director as prolific as he was sophisticated, Mario Monicelli was the epitome of the famous "Italian comedy", which he embodied with remarkable style and freedom of tone. With a humor that was both biting and generous, he tackled the worries, paradoxes and shortcomings of ordinary Italians. He worked with the great names of Italian comedy (Totò, Alberto Sordi, Ugo Tognazzi) and launched the careers of immense actors (Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni). This fourteen-film program takes us through a filmography spanning more than five decades: from the post-war films he co-directed with Steno to the last period of his career (the gritty Christmas film Parenti Serpenti), from masterpieces (Le pigeon, the inaugural masterpiece of the "Italian comedy") to true rarities (Proibito, his only drama).
Shortly before his death, Pietro Germi wrote the screenplay for Mes chers Amis and entrusted Monicelli with its production. An ode to friendship, the film features a group of middle-aged men who are disillusioned with life. They decide to start inventing questionable jokes to lighten their existence.
Mario Monicelli
Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the Commedia all'Italiana (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was awarded the Golden Lion for his career.
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Mario Monicelli, clowns tristes et tristes clowns
Monicelli a joué un rôle prépondérant dans l’avènement de la « comédie à l’italienne », ce genre populaire et sémillant dont le succès a dépassé les frontières de son pays. Il lui a donné un véritable style, tirant la farce vers la satire et mêlant avec subtilité l’héritage de la commedia dell’arte à un regard ironique et parfois sombre sur la société.
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