Sebastian Maniscalco joins forces with legendary Italian-American Robert De Niro in the new comedy About My Father, directed by Laura Terruso.
Robert De Niro as Salvo in About My Father. Photo Credit: Dan Anderson
The film centers on Sebastian, played by Maniscalco. His fiancee, played by Leslie Bibb, encourages him to bring his immigrant hairdresser father, Salvo, played by De Niro, to a weekend get-together with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family. Kim Cattrall, Anders Holm, Brett Dier and David Rasche play her family.
Kim Cattrall as Tigger, Leslie Bibb as Ellie, and David Rasche as Bill in About My Father. Photo Credit: Dan Anderson
The weekend develops into what the studio can only describe as a culture clash, leaving Sebastian and Salvo to discover that the great thing about family is everything about family.
Directed by Peter Farrelly, Green Book is a road trip movie that follows Tony Lip, played by Viggo Mortensen. Tony is a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. He is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali. Dr. Shirley is a world-class Black pianist on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South.
Together, they must rely on The Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that were safe for African Americans at the time. Based on a true story, they confronted racism, danger, unexpected humanity, and humor. They are eventually forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.
I first saw Mortensen in The History of Violence and thought he nailed it as the former hired killer, Tom Stall, now a happily married father who is forced to return to violence to save the life he nurtured and created in a small town. Now, he seems to capture a Bronx bouncer magically and effectively.
Ali recently won an Oscar for his role in Moonlight. The role of Dr. Shirley is much different from that of Juan in Moonlight.
