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Movies / On DVD / Mambo Italiano
Mambo Italiano

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Mambo Italiano (2003)

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32 %
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Reviews Counted: 69

Fresh: 22

Rotten:47

Average Rating: 4.7/10

Consensus: A broad, shrill comedy that plays like a sitcom.

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Maria and Gino (GINETTE RENO and PAUL SORVINO), emigrated from Italy to Montreal in the 50’s and married after their arrival in “the new world”, a world they still haven’t quite gotten used to. Their world is shattered when their son, Angelo... Maria and Gino (GINETTE RENO and PAUL SORVINO), emigrated from Italy to Montreal in the 50’s and married after their arrival in “the new world”, a world they still haven’t quite gotten used to. Their world is shattered when their son, Angelo (LUKE KIRBY), decides to get a place of his own. “What is so wrong with living with your parents until you get married?” they ask. They are relieved however, when Angelo’s childhood buddy, Nino (PETER MILLER), decides to move in with their son. After all, Nino is an old family friend and he’s a respectable cop. Their relief is short lived, as they find out that Nino and Angelo are much more than mere roommates—they’re (gasp) lovers! All hell breaks loose (Italian-style, of course!) Horror is followed by a general outcry, disbelief is followed by indignation, the battlefield is cleared, and “tutta la famiglia” goes to war! Will Angelo and Nino be able to resist the gargantuan pressure coming at them from all sides and find the strength to survive as a couple? Will Nino be able to withstand the seductive charms of the voluptuous Pina? Will Angelo find the courage to fully come out of the closet and confront the whole of them while he accepts himself? Mambo Italiano is hysterically funny and deeply moving. Adapted from the successful play by the same name, the movie explores further the subtleties and complexities of this quintessential Italian family—a family straddling the cultures, traditions, and mores of the old and new worlds. [More]

Starring: Luke Kirby, Paul Sorvino, Ginette Reno, Claudia Ferri

Starring: Luke Kirby, Paul Sorvino, Ginette Reno, Claudia Ferri, Peter Miller, Mary Walsh, Sophie Lorain

Director: Emile Gaudreault

Director: Emile Gaudreault
Screenwriter: Steve Galluccio, Emile Gaudreault
Story: Steve Galluccio
Producer: Denise Robert, Daniel Louis
Composer: FM Le Sieur
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

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Reviews for Mambo Italiano

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
06/15/04
BBC
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There are some startlingly powerful scenes as characters grapple with expectations and feelings for each other. But the film is annoying in its cheap attempts to get a laugh.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
11/06/03
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
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Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
10/30/04
Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette
N/R

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Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
02/04/04
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
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Every time Mambo Italiano seems headed for a plunge into the ethnic cartoon swamp, a refreshingly, unexpected element throws up a roadblock and keeps the movie on solid emotional ground.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal | comment Comment
11/29/03
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
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Seems set on making fun of Italians in the most heavy-handed manner possible.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
11/14/03
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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The problem with screenwriter and director Émile Gaudreault's effort is that he turns his Canadian-Italian family into a cartoon.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
11/13/03
Laura Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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The film has a few laughs, but none of the sweetness of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
11/13/03
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register
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Where are the GoodFellas when we really need them?

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
11/11/03
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
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Mama treats her son like a baby, even though he's almost 30! Angelo's family is gossipy! Straights don't understand gay culture! Da-DUM. Sheesh.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
11/07/03
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
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On the plus side, just about every scene in the film features some really eye-catching print wallpaper. I think it’s important to end a review on a positive note, don’t you?

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
11/06/03
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
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You actually come to like these people.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
10/24/03
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee
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The script is inane, and though Ferri has some funny moments, the acting is annoying or hopelessly bland.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
10/24/03
Kim Morgan
Oregonian
N/R

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Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
10/24/03
Sydney Morning Herald
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A half-hour sitcom stretched into an unfathomable 90 minutes of played-out ethnic caricatures that should land the entire cast a lifelong ban from Italian pride parades.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
10/22/03
Addison MacDonald
Premiere Magazine
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It's awful.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
10/20/03
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
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The movie's vision of Italian life isn't that far away from that of an Olive Garden commercial.

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
10/17/03
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
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Related Forums for Mambo Italiano

Truly dreadful
by: hbfarker 9/2/06


Film review: This movie should have been made 20 years ago.
by: boo allen 10/5/03
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