Mediterraneo

Stars: Diego Abatantuono, Claudio Bigagli, Vanna Barbra. Winner of last year's Oscar for Best Foreign Film, this delightful Italian comedy is a gorgeously filmed whimsical tale of a small band of Italian soldiers sent to invade a remote Greek island during WWII. At first, the invaders find nothing, but eventually the natives creep forward, and the men discover that they (the Italian soldiers) are the only hombres around (all the Greek men are off fighting). To complicate matters, the Italian's ship is sunk early on, and the boys are stranded. Fortunately, the locals are not hostile: Vassilissa (Vanna Barbra), sensing a good business opportunity, proffers her services as the town prostitute; the local priest--after learning of the lieutenant's (Claudio Basio) penchant for painting--offers him the inside walls of his church to use as a canvas; and one lonely soldier finds a new goat to replace his former love (also a goat). As the men drop their uniforms and concerns over the war, and settle into an idyllic way of life on the island, they lose all sense of time and place. A rich comedy that garnered a respectable $4.5 million dollars at the boxoffice, Gabriele Salvatores' Mediterraneo offers a wonderful evening's entertainment, while also adding just a touch of commentary on the folly of war. A real treat. Audience: Easily one of the most accessible foreign films of recent years. Fans of Cinema Paradiso will love this one too.