Genre: Romantic Comedy

Language: Italian with English Subtitles

Director: Pupi Avati

Cast: Antonio Albanese, Neri Marcorè, Katia Ricciarelli, Angela Luce & Manuela Morabito

Released: 2006

Duration: 110 Minutes

Rating: M contains offensive language and sexual references

Distribution: Palace Films

Veteran Italian filmmaker Pupi Avati (‘A heart elsewhere’) returns with ‘The second wedding night’, a gentle, comedic drama set in post-war Italy. The story focuses on Giordano (Antonio Albanese), who gets the chance to relive his adolescent infatuation with his sister-in-law Lilliana (Katia Ricciarelli), when she returns to the family estate in the South as a war-widow.

Pressured by the poverty of the immediate post-war period and her sly son Nino (Neri Marcorè) who harbours expensive filmmaking dreams, she accepts to see if there is any love left in her for Giordano.

The combination of the pitch-perfect performance of Antonio Albanese and the intelligent script (by director Avati) gives ‘The second wedding night’ much of its emotional leverage. Opera singer Ricciarelli, who makes her feature debut here, is equally perfect as Lilliana.

‘The second wedding night’ was nominated for a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival 2005 and Best Director Award at the Italian Golden Globes 2006.

“Technical credits are excellent all around, with impeccable costume and production design and the cinematography from Pasquale Rachini that offers a vivid and wide canvas for the otherwise intimate story …. in this film there is no downfall for the bad guys or a happily ever after for the good guys; it is a slice of life in all of its beauty and ugliness combined.” Boyd van Hoeij, European-films.net