Monstrous Marriage, the sequel to the two-year-old comedy The Monstrous Family, offers the same formula as its predecessor, between slightly blue-panettone comedy and equally mildly gothic kote; the formula, however, is diluted with a thousand-stream plot, too whimsical for the type of light-hearted comedy that director Wolfango de Biasi wants to offer.
Terrible relatives
It’s been just under two years since it was still in full post-Covid when it hit theaters. monster family: director Wolfango de Biasi’s attempt to rejuvenate the most classic Italian family comedy with a touch of horror. The success that fall of 2021 was not exactly overwhelming, but it was evident nonetheless—perhaps thanks to still-existing limitations—that it was deemed sufficient to begin work on a sequel; in that Monstrous marriagereleased in this very first glimpse of summer, brings back most of the cast that animated the prototype, with Count Vladimir Massimo Gini and Star Ilaria Spada, aspiring spouses for the sake of (above all) man, after the escape of her husband Nando; the latter, prematurely declared dead, actually disappeared into the tax haven with Stella’s twin sister, much to the anger and embarrassment of the woman and her brother, the wife of the fugitive and in turn, in unrequited love for her sister-in-law. law. Threatened by creditors and the pawnbroker father himself, Stella tries to fix the impending disaster by proposing to marry her father-in-law, Vladimiro; in fact, he is going through a full-blown marital crisis with his wife, Brunnhilde, who is currently almost devoid of her powers due to the “witch pause”.
“monstrous” and branched intrigues
A simple summary of the plot Monstrous marriage can give you an idea of the many rivulets (and we haven’t even mentioned them all) into which De Biasi’s film’s narrative is broken down, probably too complex for the type of direct and (to put it bluntly) coarse-grained comedy that the film wants to offer. One of the inevitable results – but at least the planned one – is the eclipse of the previous chapter’s two protagonists, Adalberto and Luana, who were played respectively Christian Caccamo And Emanuela Rey; here the two struggle with fatherhood, with finding a difficult balance between roles and, above all, with two (too) perky werewolf cubs who will not fail to cause problems with the inevitable family jokes involving two characters relegated to the category of him easily imagined in a minor role. Jokes, which, however, are enough even in other branches of the plot, including the failed attempts of the fraudulent lawyer Remo (played by Ricky Memphis) to seduce his sister-in-law Stella, and the one who revolves around her father Glauko (always effective Maurice Mattioli), who loses his head because of Uncle Nanni, who, with a face Paolo Calabresithe brain was implanted by none other than Isadora Duncan.
Structure that creaks
Like its predecessor already, it cannot be said that Monstrous marriage does not do a very good job of offering light and unpretentious entertainment, thanks to a good comedy pace and proven gags, as well as many established performers and characters (in this sense, it does not even interfere with the reworking of the image of Brunnhilde, whose the magic wand – rusty but always ready to strike – passes from Lucia Okone to Paola Minaconi). However, the result (thanks to an exaggeratedly bizarre script due to the insipid nature of the material and some “high” references – the figure of Isadora Duncan, quotes from Only girls in jazz – which the target audience is unlikely to understand) is clearly less effective than the prototype, able to function more in a single gag and in sizzling jokes (and there are many of them, primarily due to the familiarity of interpreters with the corresponding symbols) than in the overall picture. A well-worn plot that perceives underutilization of the main movie’s two main characters – probably inserted more for contractual reasons than anything else – ends up tiring, while the hits’ resurgence Moonlight AND Watusi it looks more like a concession to the more experienced wing of the family audience it is aimed at than a really effective ploy.
Prematurely Worn Formula
Therefore, it cannot be said, in the final analysis, that there was a real need for such a continuation. Monstrous marriage, the release of which is likely to come as a surprise (maybe not unpleasant, but still in a minor key) primarily for that part of the public that, in that fall of 2021, still marked by the specter of a pandemic, decided to relax a bit with the original film. The need for an encore in this sense remains more questionable than ever. And then, let’s face it: the formula is clearly indebted (slightly out of time) to the immortal The Addams Family – after two films, he is already prematurely worn out. If you really want to witness the deeds of a gothic and unconventional family, there’s no better choice than to dust off the originals, which are still uncommonly modern and much more astute in their comedy than these faded and pleasantly rough copies. Or, why not, reconsider Wednesday a teenager in Burton’s version, which we are waiting for the second season, and it promises to be amazing. Here one can hope, at the most, for some ephemeral laughter, the result of a comedy of blue-panettone origin, grafted as best as possible into the familiar Italian comedy fabric with a soft gothic background. Mix, who on the second attempt already said all the little that he had to say.
Form
Original name: Monstrous marriage
Director: Wolfango DeBiasi
Country/year: Italy / 2023
Duration: 101′
Type: Comedy, Fantasy
Throw: Paolo Calabresi, Sarah Ciocca, Cristiano Caccamo, Massimo Gini, Paola Minaccioni, Elisa Di Eusanio, Ilaria Spada, Ricky Memphis, Vincenzo Sebastiani, Bryce Martine, Claudio Gregory, Emanuela Rey, Maurizio Mattioli, Fortunato Marco Giannaccone, Irene Girotti
Screenplay: Alessandro Bencivenni, Wolfango De Biasi, Filippo Bologna, Michela Andreozzi
Photo: Robert Force
Assembly: Stefano Chirchi
Music: Michael Braga
Director: Fulvio Lucisano, Federica Lucisano
Production house: Italian international film, Rai Cinema
Distribution: 01 Distribution
Release date: 06/21/2023
Trailer
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