Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Mambo Italiano (2003) Directed by Emile Gaudreault. Written by Steve Galluccio.

Angelo Barberini (Luke Kirby) is an Italian Canadian. He is part of a typical Italian family; Mama Maria, (Ginette Reno) Papa Gino, (Paul Sorvino) and sister Anna, (Claudia Ferri). Angelo has another problem other than the four mentioned (yes, four; Mama, Papa, Anna, and Italian.) Angelo is gay. And as he says "Being Italian and gay is like....no, there is no fate worse than being Italian and gay."

When he was a little boy, his best friend was Nino. (as a child, Mathieu Major-Langevin) Little Angelo (Michael Romano) and he played every day. But after he started to high school, things changed. Angelo found he was the butt of every bullies’ joke, and he soon wore the dreaded label; F.A.G.

And Nino stopped hanging with him at school. On Saturday everything was like it used to be. At school, Angelo was invisible.

Eventually, Nino stopped coming around on Saturdays too.

Then Angelo’s best friend was his Aunt Yolanda. Yolanda was a free spirit, the life of the party. She taught Angelo to dance the Mambo. She had dreams of being a Famous Actress. But her family did not think that was safe or suitable, so they found her a husband. A year later, she was dead.

And Angelo was left with the movies.

All grown up, Angelo announces that he wants to be a Screen Writer. This is the day that Mama referred to ever after as “the day he took ten years off my life.” There is a further problem; he stinks.

In Italian families, there are two ways you leave home; married, or dead. But Angelo looked at their next door neighbors, the son was 65, the parents in their late eighties. He had never married, and therefore never moved out. Angelo could not stand that life. So he did the unthinkable.

Angelo moved out.

It is a scene that in my family is reserved for fatal meteor strikes and genocide.

Shortly there after, Angelo is burglarized. The scene of Momma trying to clean up so people will not think he is a bum, while Angelo tries to preserve the crime scene is hilarious!

But all that flies out the window when Angelo sees who one of the cops is; Nino (the very well grown up Peter Miller.) Their friendship renews, then on a camping trip, moves to a whole new level. (And yes, that means what you think it does.)

Angelo is finally happy. He has a lover, he has a job (travel switchboard help desk) he can stand (now) and things are looking up.

Of course, he has to still date Italian girls, and he can’t tell anyone, because Nino has an image to maintain; not macho cop, but respected cop. And you can’t be gay and respected in Italian society.

Of course, no secret can remain a secret forever…..

The strength of this movie is not in its plot, but in the characters, in their relationships and in the humor that grows from them.

Angelo of course is the narrator, and most of what we see is from his point of view. But it is his observations of others that is funniest. Concerning his own conception; “Then, after what my mother refers to as ‘what your father did to me when I was asleep’ my sister Anna was born, followed a few years later by yours truly.”

His sister Anna has an addictive personality. The things she is addicted to? Blue Icicles (freezer Pops) and going to psychiatrists. She never sees the same psychiatrist twice; they know too much about her; it would be embarrassing. So she sees a whole series of them, each one, just once.

Her other addiction, freezer pops, at least made her popular in high school, at least with the boys. (Think it through…)

Mama is always concerned with how things are perceived. Papa tends to go along with the program, making things one better. An example;
The Widow Paventi (Nino’s momma)((Mary Walsh)) :What I need, you can’t offer, being married.
Gino: What you say, Maria? We help an old friend out? (teasing)
Maria: Trust me, you’re better off with your memories.

Another example on having to go to a wedding where they expect the grooms mother to be unpleasant.
Gino: Then we no go.
Maria: We have to go. If we don’t go, then Lina will think we are ashamed.
Gino: Then we go. But we don’t buy a present.
Maria: We have to buy a present. She’ll think your cheap.
Gino: The we go. We write out a check for $200. But I not gonna buy a new suit.
Maria: You wanna look like a bum?
Gino: Here’s what we gonna do. I’ll buy a new suit, you a pretty dress, and we’ll buy the biggest present, but we won’t have a good time. We will spend whole time, looking at our watches, and I’ll yawn, a lot.
Maria: If we do that, she’ll think we’re bitter.
Gino: (running out of ideas…) Maria, you figure it out. Cause thisa thing, its making me tired.

When they Angelo tells them he is gay, the recriminations start.
Gino: This is all your fault! I a-wanted him to play hockey, but no, what do you say?
Maria: But he a-no like sports!
Gino: Exactaly! If you let me make him go play hockey, he no be a homosexuale!
Maria: My fault! It’s a your fault!
Gino: Don’t you start in on me!
Maria: My son tole me he is a homosexuale, I gotta start in on someone!

But after the trying to fix things phase, Maria and Gino are visiting Yolanda’s grave, and they talk.
Gino: Do we still love our Angelo?
Maria: Of course we love him! He is our baby boy!
Gino: Then why is it so hard to pick up the phone and talk to him?
Maria: I don know, I just don know…..

Spoiler Alert
And acceptance comes, as it so often does in Italian families, in the form of a united front. They are talking to Lina, Nino’s mama about the up coming wedding.
Lina: Oh, Maria, Gino I was a so happy to get your RSVP. I pray San Jussepi that you come. I hope you not bitter.
Maria: Why we bitter?
Gino: No one could be happier than us!
Lina: I meant about Angelo. You know, him…being all alone.
Maria (Lying through her teeth.) Oh, he’s not alone.
Gino. Not our boy!
Lina: He found a nice Italian Girl?
Maria: He not gonna find no Italian girl. Our son is gay.
Gino: No one is gayer than my son!
Maria: He has a new boyfriend, and they are so much in love!
Gino: That man love my boy! I should love my wife the way that man love my boy……(nervous chuckles as her realizes how much trouble he is in.)
End Spoiler

It really is wonderful, watching the process the family goes through. As Anna tells one of her shrinks, “Italian life is chaos, glorious serene chaos. But when you go out in the real world, the chaos is not serene. When they yell at you…they mean it.”

Angelo and his family weave their way through all the chaos of his big announcement back to serenity. I won’t tell you how it turns out, but I will say this; in the end truth wins. Tradition wins. Honesty wins. Self acceptance wins. Love wins. And Angelo and the glorious serene chaos of his family win.

Gay Movies:

La Mission***Burnt Money***8: The Mormon Propo$ition***In The Flesh***The Sensei***The 24th Day***Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon***ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction***East Side Story***Dorian Blues***Creatures From the Pink Lagoon***Satyricon***Ice Men***Richard O'Briens Rocky Horror Tribute Show***Prom Queen***The Kids are All Right***Between Love and Goodbye***The Mudge Boy***That Man: Peter Berlin***A Single Man***Almost Normal***Outing Riley***Outrage!***Law of Desire***Love is the Devil***Cowboy Junction***Horror in the Wind***Bedrooms and Hallways***Cut Sleeve Boys***Big Eden***For A Lost Soldier***Midnight Cowboy***Redwoods***The Massuer***Boy Culture***Breakfast With Scot***The Fluffer***Flesh***Little Ashes***L.I.E. ***Dorian Gray***9 Dead Gay Guys***Shank***I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry***Beautiful Boxer***Bangkok Love Story***Schoolboy Crush***Shelter***Back Soon***Dog Tags***Theft***The Mulligans***The Velvet Goldmine***Swashbuckler***Smoke Signals
***C'Thulhu***Milk***The Picture of Dorian Gray***Brideshead Revisited***Notes on a Scandal***RocknRolla***Mamma Mia!
***Priscillia: Queen of the Desert***The History Boys***Brokeback Mountain***The Broken Hearts Club*** Yaji and Kita: Midnight Pilgrims ***Surge of Power ***In & Out ***Mambo Italiano ***Touch of Pink ***To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar ***Wolves of Kromer ***Rocky Horror Picture Show ***Taboo ***Deathtrap 


Gay Themed Series:

Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Dante's Cove
Hex
Carnivale Season One
Carnivale Season Two
Rome Season One
Rome Season Two
True Blood
True Blood: Season Two
The Book of Daniel: The Complete Series
Torchwood: Children of Earth
Torchwood: Season One


Gay Animation:

Pirate's Booty***Sensitive Pornograph***Loveless: The Complete Series***Loveless: Hope on the Run***Loveless: Soul of Chains***Loveless: Lost and Found***Embracing Love: A Cicada in Winter***Embracing Love: Cherished Spring ***Stonewall & Riot***Drawn Together Movie: The Movie***Drawn Together: Season 2***Drawn Together: Season 3

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older