The Last Will Be the Last: the drama of unemployment
- Tommaso Carlo Mascolo
- 28 apr 2016
- Tempo di lettura: 2 min
The Last Will Be the Last (Gli ultimi saranno ultimi) is the second movie directed by Massimiliano Bruno, starring Paola Cortellesi and Alessandro Gassman, based on a play written by Bruno.
Both the play and the movie talk about Luciana (Paola Cortellesi) and Stefano (Alessandro Gassman), who live in Anguillara, a small village by the lake of Bracciano. They have tried to have a baby for many years without success. At long last, Luciana gets pregnant. When her employer discovers the pregnancy, he decides not to renew her contract. Meanwhile, Stefano, unemployed, tries to win big with risky business ventures but he fails and loses a lot of money.
This shifts the genre of the movie from comedy to drama: the lack of jobs and money take Luciana and Stefano into a terrible crisis.
Still of Alessandro Gassman and Paola Cortellesi © 2015 01 Distribution Above: still of Alessandro Gassman and Paola Cortellesi © 2015 01 Distribution
There are several differences between the play and the movie. The play consists of a long monologue in which Paola Cortellesi interprets all the characters, changing her voice and her position on an empty stage. In the movie, she only has the role of Luciana and the director Massimiliano Bruno gives great importance to the locations.
Instead of the empty stage of a theatre, Bruno brings the spectator through the alleys of the ancient village of Anguillara and immerses them in the natural environment of the lakes of Bracciano and Martignano.
The balance between the characters and the setting is really important. In the beginning, Luciana is absorbed in a family atmosphere, surrounded by her friends, in the place where she has always lived. In the end, in the deepest moment of her crisis, the whole environment seems to become unknown. Actually, the only thing that changes is her perception of a place that never changes.
Close-up of Paola Cortellesi © 2015 01 Distribution
In this movie, Paola Cortellesi, who wrote the script with Massimiliano Bruno, perfectly interprets the character of Luciana, and proves to not only be a great actress (both in theatre and cinema) but a good author as well. Ultimately, The Last Will Be the Last is a movie about the problems of ordinary people in our current society, where unemployment makes it hard for many to build a family and reach happiness.
Director: Massimiliano Bruno Writers: Massimiliano Bruno, Furio Andreotti, Gianni Corsi, Paola Cortellesi Cast: Paola Cortellesi, Alessandro Gassman, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Giorgio Caputo, Stefano Fresi, Ilaria Spada Year: 2015
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