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Francesca and Nunziata (2001)

Director: Lina Wertmüller

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From Time Out Film Guide

This ornately designed, 19th century family epic, adapted from a novel by Maria Orsini Natale, seems mild compared to the controversial works that made Wertmüller's name. Francesca (Loren) is the head of a pasta empire, married to a foolish aristocrat (Giannini). Nunziata is the orphan they adopt to fulfil a vow. After some years, the couple's dreamy eldest son returns to Italy, and he and Nunziata fall into a helpless, secret romance while the family business slips into crisis. A frustratingly elliptical pace tests credulity, despite Gerini's elegant portrayal of Nunziata. That said, the classic Wertmüller pairing of Loren and Giannini retains a glorious charisma, their characters illustrating the director's argument that 'The wiser a woman is, the more she realises that her man should feel like a king at home, and not an asshole.'

Author: AHa 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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Cast & crew

Director: Lina Wertmüller

Producer: Simone De Rita, Anna Stoppoloni

Cast: Sophia Loren, Giancarlo Giannini, Claudia Gerini, Raoul Bova, Carmen Femiano, Domenico Orsini, Vanessa Sabet, Moira Grassi, Luciano De Crescenzo, Armando Pugliese, Massimo Wertmüller full cast

Genre(s): Period/Swashbucklers

Duration: 125 mins


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