The Australian premier of this farcical romantic comedy is sure to freeze out most other comedies on the cinema circuit.
Directed by Giancarlo Fontana and Giuseppe G Stasi, Put Nonna in the Freezer was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2018 Nastri d’Argento Italian film awards with little wonder. It’s also bound to be one of the hits of this year’s Film Festival.
Claudia (Miriam Leone) keeps her struggling restoration business afloat through her grandmother’s pension while she waits for an overdue government payment. When her nonna dies, she is convinced by her two employees, Rossana (Lucia Ocone) and Margie (Marina Rocco), to keep the body in the freezer for a few months until the payment comes through.
Meanwhile, by-the-book Tax Police officer Simone Recchia (Fabio De Luigi) is set up by his colleagues to romance Claudia. While he’s effective at work, he’s clumsy with women, so they fake an investigation to get the two together, not realising that Claudia really should be on their case list.
Barbara Bouchet cameos as the hapless body, Nonna Birgit, who is chased by an old suitor, rides a runaway wheelchair, and is thrown back into cold storage more often than most perishables.
The action blends comedy, farce and romance beautifully, never getting too silly but offering numerous outrageous moments. The ensemble is superb. They play it straight despite the ludicrous situations they often find themselves in. Fontana and Stasi pace the story well and use the scenic countryside effectively to add to both the romance and those moments of comedy gold.
If you’re looking for a movie to help you chill, this could be the one.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Put Nonna in the Freezer is screening exclusively at the Palace Nova cinemas for the 2018 Lavazza Italian Film Festival. Catch it at the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas on 22, 26 September and 7, 12 October, or at the Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas on 21, 25 September and 3, 13 October 2018.
All films in the Lavazza Italian Film Festival screen with English subtitles.
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