NUOVO MONDO (2006 - DRAMA / ROMANCE / COMEDY) ****1/2 out of *****
(Say hello to the original Guidos...)
CAST: Vincenzo Amato, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vincent Schiavelli, Aurora Quattrochi, Francesco Casiso, Filippo Puccilo, Federico De Cola, Isaballe Ragonese, Filippo Luna, Giuseppe Sangiorgi.
DIRECTOR: Emanuele Crialese.
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and serious FOB (Fresh Off The Boat) and WOP (Without Papers) antics - straight ahead
IT'S LIKE THIS: Remember TITANIC, that uber-hit about a star-crossed shipboard romance that launched Leonardo Di Caprio's career into the ozone and made millions of teenage girls go through six or seven boxes of Kleenex apiece? Well, our latest review is also a star-crossed shipboard romance - and is even better than TITANIC. Mainly because of those two things: (1) the ship doesn't sink, and therefore (2) none of our heroes die. Which is a damn good thing because our heroes are a bunch of fairly hot Guidos, and one really cute English chick.
It is 1904, and our Guidos are the Mancuso family. They are relocating from Sicily to New York to start a presumably better life. They are: (1) Salvatore Mancuso (Vincenzo Amato), nuclear-hot Daddy Guido; (2) Angelo Mancuso (Francesco Casiso), cute Baby Guido # 1; (3) Pietro Mancuso (Filippo Puccilo), cute Baby Guido # 2; and (4) Fortunata Mancuso, cranky Grandma Guida. The Mancuso clan has heard amazing stories of "Nuovo Mondo" AKA "The New World" - and they are quite stoked. Then again, I would be stoked, too, if someone told me that the United States was filled with carrots bigger than Macy's Parade Floats and rivers running with milk and honey. Salvatore, in particular, takes these stories for fact and regularly dreams about them. Before you know it, the Mancuso clan is schleppin' it to the closest Sicilian dock to get their fine (except for Grandma’s) asses on to the next Westward-bound freighter.
During the hellish pre-boarding processing phase, Salvatore and his family run into all sorts of headaches. Specifically, they: (1) have to put up with shysters who try to sell them all sorts of fake remedies that are supposed to guarantee them passage through Ellis Island; (2) contend with morons who insist on taking their pictures behind one of those “people scenes” with the faces cut out, like in some kiddie theme park; and (3) generally experience the 1904 version of a really long TSA security line.
Well, it's not all a pain in the ass. Because the Mancuso family does make the acquaintance of one Miss Lucy Reed (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Lucy is a cool, classy English lady, and fits in among these Guidos like Princess Kate at a WWF championship smackdown. Nevertheless, Lucy takes an interest in the Mancuso clan. Specifically, in Salvatore himself. Then again, Salvatore looks a hell of a lot like Vincenzo Amato - and, dude, I would tap that so hard, he wouldn't be able to walk properly for weeks. So I can't really blame Miss Lucy for giving our Daddy Guido some serious googley-eyes.
And so the ship sails... And if you are thinking that this is going to be some comfortable pleasure cruise, my dear, you need to wake the fuck up. For starters, the Mancuso clan and Lucy are jammed in with everyone else below decks like sardines. Actually, sardines probably enjoy more elbow room in their cans than our unfortunate protagonists in their bunks. And then there's the inevitable issue of a large number of people crammed into a confined space with nothing to do. Which inevitably leads to, yes, mean ugly gossip.
And Miss Lucy, being an aloof, private chick who keeps her own counsel, is naturally a favorite subject. I should invite Lucy to join me and Olive (Emma Stone) from EASY A, and go out to Happy Hour where we can trade stories about the slanderous, malicious gossip whispered about us - and have a laugh over mojitos. Of course, my close friend and confidante who is a lawyer doesn't think it's funny and wants to descend on the slanderers like Hurricane "Sandy". But as I always tell him: "Just forgive them and overcome meanness with understanding, as Buddha would say. And as Christ would say, forgive them father for they know not what they do. But I'll let you know when my patience and good will are gone."
Lucy must feel the same way, because she chooses to turn her back on all the vicious whispering going on behind her back - and sometimes right in front of her. Some of the nasty tidbits whispered: (1) she was dumped by a guy at Ellis Island and had to go back to Europe to try again; (2) she was the mistress of a rich English Lord who went back to his wife; (3) she is trying to steal Salvatore (or anything with an Italian Dick) to be her boy-toy; and (4) she is actually a man in drag. Okay, I was kidding about that last part, but you know the small-minded tongues around her pretty much covered that territory already.
Fortunately, Lucy has a guardian angel to watch over her: and he is none other than Salvatore himself. Just imagine Kevin Costner from THE BODYGUARD, but somehow even hotter. That's our Salvatore as he watches over Lucy during the voyage from Sicily to "il nuovo mondo." But what will happen once they reach New York? Will they be separated at Ellis Island? Will the immigration authorities permit the entire Mancuso clan to enter the United States? Or will some - or all - of them have to return back to Italy? Will Salvatore and Lucy find a way to work together so they can both enter the country? If so, is it just a business arrangement? Or do they really feel something for each other? Will the Guido Family and The Icy English Chick live happily ever after in The Big Apple?
Watch and see. For now, I think we will order ourselves some New York-style Pizza, bitches…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In Buddhism, there is a saying: "it is better to travel than to arrive." Which is another way to say that the journey is sometimes more important than the destination. This is essentially the theme that is covered by movies within the Road Trip Sub-Genre. These films have protagonists who are thrown together on cross-county (sometimes cross-continent) journeys during which they grow as people and bridge the gaps between them, even as they prepare for the unknown waiting for them at their final destinations.
Movies like THELMA & LOUISE, HAWKS, THE SURE THING, SIDEWAYS, ROAD TRIP, JOYRIDE, TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR, & LEAVING NORMAL are just a few strong examples. With our latest review, NUOVO MONDO (GOLDEN DOOR), we have an interesting variation on the Road Trip Movie - one that takes place on the open ocean. But this seafaring "road trip" is particularly distinctive because it also tackles the immigrant experience - which every American (save the Native Americans) can relate to because we all came from somewhere else.
What's remarkable and striking about director Emanuele Crialese's film, though, is how surreal, whimsical, and hypnotic he makes it. In the beginning of the film, when Salvatore and his sons listen with awe to fantastic stories of the bounties to be found in the "new world," it's not long before we are actually seeing images (in Salvatore’s fertile imagination) of giant carrots and rivers of milk - with Salvatore, Lucy, and his clan swimming through them. These quirky images underscore the innocence of the characters - and the big stakes they have wagered in making the journey westward to America.
Crialese's decision to emphasize the whimsy in the story keeps things fairly light and pleasant. This isn't to say, though, that there aren't moments of somber seriousness in the film (there are, such as one involving a dead infant on the ship), but the overall tone of the film is of exuberant sincerity. Crialese's anachronistic choice of adding contemporary pop songs to the soundtrack (such as Nina Simone's "Sinnerman") further lends the story with a perky, dream-like quality with a modern sensibility.
But the film isn't just about cheeky cleverness, though. As we mention above, it is also genuinely sincere. This is primarily because of its well-drawn characters. Salvatore Mancuso is a terrific protagonist who combines boyish innocence and vulnerability, with a manly courtliness and conviction. He's the kind of man that I see my friend "Clark Kent" (who recommended this film) becoming one day - one that is protective of his family and friends, but also needs someone else to protect him, the way Lucy protects Salvatore and the rest of his family at the end. The darkly handsome Vincenzo Amato takes ownership of this role and delivers a quietly dynamic performance that is marked equally by strong dialogue, but also subtly expressive non-verbals and gestures.
Watch for the exquisitely silent scene that opens the film. Salvatore and his son Angelo are scaling a mountain in Sicily, barefoot and with stones clutched in their mouths. They are on a pilgrimage to a shrine at the peak, where they will offer the stones - in exchange for guidance from God as to whether or not they should make the fateful trip to America. After they offer the stones, there is a lovely image of Angelo resting his head on the rocks, exhausted, waiting for the divine answer. Salvatore watches him with a sad smile, and a quiet look that is full of love, pride, and hope. We get the sense in that moment that Salvatore wants to make the trip not for himself, but for the good of his sons.
Then there is one of my favorite scenes ever in any film: the lovely sequence on the deck of the ship, where Lucy and Salvatore playfully tail each other around some smokestacks. It's a scene that manages to be both innocent and sexy at the same time, underscoring the simmering chemistry between Amato and Charlotte Gainsbourg (who is sensational as Lucy, but more on that below). Then there's the touching scene where Lucy asks Salvatore to help her get into America by marrying her. He agrees, and responds that even though it will start out as a marriage of convenience, they will learn to love each other in time. However, their non-verbals, gestures, and - especially - the quiet way that Lucy says "Si" while averting her eyes, tell us that these two are already in love. There are plenty of other scenes where Amato shines as Salvatore, but the above are the best - and we must spend equal time discussing Amato's radiant co-star.
Put simply, French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg is a powerhouse as Lucy Reed, the mysterious Englishwoman whom everyone on the ship can't stop talking or thinking about. Gainsbourg is atypically beautiful, and from some angles she can seem plain, but from other angles, she is quite striking to behold. Her beauty is like a prism that is always changing with the light. This elusive physical quality is a perfect complement to Lucy's personality, which is very elusive and enigmatic itself. Sometimes, she is open, warm, and approachable. Other times, she is cool, guarded, and inscrutable. At other times, she is downright icy and prickly. Gainsbourg keeps us firmly invested in the character with her eloquently expressive brown eyes, which speak volumes with every glance and look.
Had Crialese cast someone more typically and traditionally beautiful like Angelina Jolie or some other perfect female specimen, the character of Lucy Reed would have been compromised and lost some humanity. It's important that she be beautiful - but not too beautiful. As it is, Gainsbourg is perfection in the role. As with Amato and his role of Salvatore, Gainsbourg as Lucy is given many moments to not only make her mark with strong dialogue scenes, but also silent sequences where her brown eyes do all the talking. Watch for the surreal and lovely scene where Fortunata, Salvatore's mother who had previously been unkind to Lucy, quietly turns to Lucy in a crowded bunkhouse, as if to reluctantly acknowledge the role this mysterious Englishwoman will play in protecting her son and grandsons in the New World. This scene plays without any dialogue, just Fortunata and Lucy slowly facing each other and coming to an understanding of sorts, as the action and noise around them slows down to silence. Then there's the nice scene towards the end at Ellis Island where Lucy and Salvatore declare their intent to marry each other - and Salvatore tosses his hat to her as a gift. The way Gainsbourg plays Lucy's quiet joy during this scene is wonderful. Love, love, love these scenes.
As the rest of Salvatore's clan, Aurora Quattrochi, Francesco Casiso, and Filippo Puccilo provide strong support to the two leads. Quattrochi is believably hard-boiled and cantankerous as the stubborn Fortunata, who is very much of the old world. However, Quattrochi also credibly melts and allows Fortunata's softer to side to emerge in the latter goings, especially when it becomes clear that she will have to "pass the torch" to Lucy as far as the fates of Salvatore, Angelo, and Pietro are concerned. Speaking of the "boys," Angelo and Pietro are made as memorable as the other characters by the talented Casiso and Puccilo. Casiso's portrayal of Angelo echoes Salvatore's manly side, while Puccilo's depiction of Pietro taps into Salvatore's boyish and more innocent side. In essence, these young men are the two sides of their father, and the actors playing them deliver strongly.
What's also interesting about NUOVO MONDO is how we never actually see New York City or Ellis Island from afar. A less imaginative and more predictable film would have had the cliched and expected scene of the immigrants standing on the deck of the ship, staring out at the New York skyline and their new home as they sail into it. Crialese, however, knows how to subvert expectations and instead use subtext and subtlety to make the story more interesting. At the moment when the ships approaches New York harbor, a fog rolls in and all Salvatore, Lucy, and other immigrants (and we) can hear is an eerie foghorn intoning from somewhere in front of them. Crialese's execution of this scene is brilliant because of the twin layers he weaves into it: (1) the fog covering up New York harbor symbolizes the uncertainty facing all of them, with their futures hard to discern; and (2) this is the moment where Lucy "proposes" to Salvatore - and he accepts, with the fog isolating them from everyone else around them.
Also, later on in the film, when Salvatore and the other men are nearing the end of their "processing" on Ellis Island, they stand around some frosted windows and talk about being unable to see through them to the world outside. Once again, Crialese uses the metaphor of "blindness" to underscore the unknown future for the people. But then just a few seconds later, he introduces a ray of hope when Salvatore leads the pack and climbs up to an un-frosted panel of clear glass to look out outside. As he marvels about the tall buildings and budding skyline of New York, we are never shown what he sees. Instead, we just hear Salvatore's description of them. A less imaginative or thoughtful director than Crialese would've give us a shot of what Salvatore sees outside. However, by never showing us what he sees, and only showing us Salvatore's reactions of amazement and wonder, Crialese keeps our focus on the characters and firmly in their shoes. Which makes the story all the more powerful.
In the end, NUOVO MONDO (GOLDEN DOOR) is an amazing film that takes us on a surreal, whimsical journey - one that each of our ancestors took to start a new life in this amazing place called America. I wish that Crialese would do sequel to NUOVO MONDO that shows how Salvtore, Lucy, Angelo, and Pietro found their way through the New World. I like to think that after they married, Salvatore and Lucy opened a trattoria/pizzeria in Brooklyn called "Trattoria Mancuso," with Angelo and Pietro as waiters. I would love to see that movie...
Take note, Signore Crialese... we're waiting.
