Meet the Rizzos
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Meet the Rizzos |
| Original title | City Island |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2009 |
| length | 104 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Raymond De Felitta |
| script | Raymond De Felitta |
| production | Andy García Raymond De Felitta |
| music | Jan AP Kaczmarek |
| camera | Vanja Černjul |
| cut | David Leonard |
| occupation | |
| |
Meet the Rizzos (English original title: "City Island") is an American comedy film from 2009, which revolves around the Rizzo family and their little secrets in dealing with each other.
action
Vince lives with his family in City Island , Bronx , and works there as a prison guard. Family life is not always easy, also because everyone carries one or the other secret with them. One day Vince himself has to find out that he has an illegitimate son: Tony Nardella, 24, who is in prison with him. Vince takes advantage of a probation program to employ his son as a housekeeper so he can get to know him better - but doesn't tell anyone, not even Tony himself, that he is his son. Another secret from Vince: He secretly attends an acting class (led by Michael Malakov) where he has a platonic love for Molly (also an aspiring actress).
His daughter Vivian's little secret: She was kicked out of the scholarship program in college for drug use and now makes a living as a stripper. His son Vince Jr., on the other hand, has a sexual preference for overweight women and therefore fantasizes about his 150 kg neighbor. His wife Joyce finally smokes again secretly, although she herself demands to adhere to a strict no-smoking policy in the house. She also liked the handsome Tony, which is why she tried to approach him, not realizing that it was her stepson.
Vince almost misses his audition for a Martin Scorsese movie, he plays a Marlon Brando imitation from The Godfather . But when he remembers Tony's words never to hide behind something "wrong", he shows an achievement with which he outperforms his acting teacher Malakov and which earns him a film role. Meanwhile, Joyce is playing to the fullest of Tony and longing to be around him. Vinnie befriends his overweight neighbor and she teaches him how to win the heart of an overweight girl from his school.
Tensions within the family increase. Tony tries to get out of all the hypocrisy and grabs the car. He wants to drive as far away as possible, but he only comes to a strip club nearby and has to watch as the Rizzo's daughter undresses in front of him. He tows her and brings her home, where there is an open confrontation with all family members. When Vince reveals who Tony really is, Tony realizes that he must have tried to run away from his own family. Little by little, mistakes are now being admitted and Vince also realizes that it would actually be worthwhile to work for his family. Ultimately, everyone forgives each other for their mistakes and welcomes new member Tony, completely overwhelmed by the situation, to this bizarre but loving family.
Reviews
The film received extremely positive reviews - both from critics and audiences. As stated Rotten Tomatoes with 98 reviews an approval of 81%, while of 25,537 users and 77% the film with positive feedback (as at 2 March 2011). Metacritic had an average rating of 66% in 28 professional film reviews.
Roger Ebert thinks that one shouldn't expect a lame plot in the circumscribed plot, because De Felitta finds exactly the right tone to stage it. The characters are all stupid and foolish, like all of us, and they deserve the luck they experience. (But don't get the idea "City Island" is a laff riot. For this story about these people, it finds about the right tone. They're silly and foolish, as are we all, but deserve what happiness they can negotiate .)
Jeannette Catsoulis writes in the New York Times about the many secrets of a working-class family that was staged in many heartfelt and simple moments (“City Island” is softened by some sweet, low-key moments) and that Vince's permanently vulnerable eyes make the wish after change, which the film understands as a commitment to conformity (In Vince's permanently wounded eyes the desire for change is as clear as the movie's commitment to conformity).
John Anderson writes in the Washington Post , that the wonderful thing about the story of the film is how many great secrets can be concealed by so few people (One of the amazing things about "City Iceland" is the realization [...] of just how many enormous secrets are being harbored by so few people).
British critics also received the film positively, and so Philip French wrote in the Guardian that the film was sporadically amusing and that it had some outstanding moments, which was mainly due to the actors (sporadically amusing and has a couple of outstanding moments both to do with acting) .
Frank Scheck describes in the Hollywood Reporter that the director and screenwriter De Felitta exaggerates a little with the absurdities, but you can tell that he likes his characters (Director-screenwriter De Felitta [...] piles on the absurdities a bit thick, but his obvious affection for the characters) . The performances are also attractive. Garcia in particular is extremely appealing during his audition, which is definitely the highlight of the film (The performances, too, are delightful. Garcia is terrifically appealing in his uncharacteristic turn, with his hilarious audition scene providing the film's highlight.) .
background
- De Felitta had a cousin who as a prison officer has worked and also unexpectedly found a son (I had a cousin who started as a corrections officer, who found a son he never admitted to within his family) .
- Since Vince Rizzo is laid out as an Italian-American, De Felitta had hoped that Robert De Niro or James Gandolfini might take on the role; but both were not available. Before the role had to be rewritten, however, the Cuban Andy García could be committed. But only because he had already played an Italian in The Godfather 3 .
- Andy García was so convinced of the script that he not only took over the production, but also persuaded his personal friends Emily Mortimer and Alan Arkin to collaborate.
- In the New York Times , De Felitta read an article about City Island , which he had never heard of as a New Yorker , and was amazed that when it was shot there, this place always served as Connecticut .
publication
After its world premiere at the Berlinale , the film officially opened in Russia on July 23, 2009. City Island was then shown at several film festivals around the world, including the Deauville Film Festival , Cannes and the Stockholm Film Festival . The film was shown in US cinemas on March 19, 2010 and played with a budget of approx. 6 million US dollars, since then a total of 7.8 million dollars worldwide, of which 6.7 million dollars in the USA alone. It was released on DVD in Germany on October 18, 2011 .
Awards
-
Satellite Awards
- 2010 - Best Actor (Comedy / Musical) - Andy García (nominated)
Web links
- Meet the Rizzo in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- (English) website of Meet the Rizzo
- Internet blog (English) about the making-of of Meet the Rizzos
Individual evidence
- ↑ City Island on rottentomatoes.com (English) , accessed March 2, 2011
- ↑ City Island on metacritic.com (English) , accessed March 2, 2011
- ↑ Roger Ebert: City Island on suntimes.com of March 31, 2010 ( English ), accessed on March 2, 2011
- ↑ Jeannette Catsoulis: City Island - A Bronx Tale, With Bait on nytimes.com from March 19, 2010 ( English ), accessed on March 2, 2011
- ↑ John Anderson: Movie Review: The secrets of Andy Garcia's 'City Island' on washingtonpost.com from April 2, 2010 ( English ), accessed March 2, 2011
- ↑ Philip French: City Iceland on guardian.co.uk on 25 July 2010 ( English ), accessed 2 March 2011
- ↑ Frank Scheck: City Island - Film Review ( Memento of the original from May 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in The Hollywood Reporter of 4 May 2009 ( English ), accessed 18 March 2011
- ↑ Marshall Fine: Raymond De Felitta: 'City Island' - with feeling ( Memento of the original from May 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on hollywoodfine.com on March 19, 2010 ( English ), accessed on March 18, 2011
- ↑ a b Lorenza Muñoz: Director Raymond De Felitta On City Island (Part 2 of 2) ( Memento of the original from October 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on filmindependent.org on March 17, 2010 ( English ), accessed on March 18, 2011
- ↑ Lorenza Muñoz: Find Interview: Actor and Producer Andy García (Part 1 of 2) ( Memento of the original from November 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on filmindependent.org on March 11, 2010 ( English ), accessed on March 18, 2011
- ↑ City Island on boxofficemojo.com (English) , accessed March 2, 2011
