''It Was the Son'' ( it, È stato il figlio) is a 2012 Italian

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Daniele Ciprì Daniele Ciprì (born 17 August 1962) is an Italian film director and cinematographer. He is best known for his collaborations with Franco Maresco and for his film ''It Was the Son ''It Was the Son'' ( it, È stato il figlio) is a 2012 Italian ...

. The film was selected to compete for the

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...

at the

69th Venice International Film Festival The 69th annual Venice International Film Festival, organized by Venice Biennale, took place at Venice Lido from 29 August to 8 September 2012. The festival opened with the Indian director Mira Nair's ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'', and clos ...

, where Ciprì won the Osella for Best Cinematography.

Premise

The main story unfolds within the frame story of an older man waiting to pay bills at a post office in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, who captivates his listeners by promising to tell the story of a boy who killed his father over a scratched car. Nicola Ciraulo is a father (

Toni Servillo Marco Antonio Servillo (), known as Toni Servillo, is an Italian actor and theatrical director. He has won the European Film Award for Best Actor twice, in 2008 for both '' Gomorrah'' and ''Il Divo'' and in 2013 for ''The Great Beauty'', as wel ...

as Nicola Ciraulo) trying to teach his son ( Alfredo Castro as Busu) the basics of his maritime salvage / scavenging business. Soon thereafter, Nicola's daughter is killed by mafioso. This murder entitles the family to compensation for their loss, which brings out their greed and begins the central conflict of the story.

Cast

as Nicola Ciraulo *

Giselda Volodi Giselda Volodi (born 1959) is an Italian actress. She was born Giselda Mazzantini, in Tangier, Morocco, to the family of writer Carlo Mazzantini and artist Anne Donnelly. She is the sister of writer/actress Margaret Mazzantini and producer Moir ...

as Loredana Ciraulo * Alfredo Castro as Busu * Fabrizio Falco as Tancredi Ciraulo * Aurora Quattrocchi as Nonna Rosa

Reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

called it "an annoying parody of an Italo pic" and stated that it diminished Italy's international filmmaking reputation.

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

said that the film "has curiosity value, but it ends up feeling too flat and bleak."

References

External links

* 2012 films 2012 comedy-drama films 2010s Italian-language films Italian comedy-drama films Sicilian-language films 2010s Italian films {{2010s-comedy-drama-film-stub