Especially On Sunday

Music: Ennio Morricone
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
In Italian with English subtitles

Especially on Sunday is a collection of three loosely-connected shorts that occur in a dreamy Italian village. All three were written by Tonino Guerra, so there are common themes, especially in the first and third stories, which deal with familiarity and loss. Each of these tales is wrapped in its own sense of ethereal unreality, and the mysticism is as enchanting here as in full- length features such as Like Water for Chocolate. The title suggests Especially on Sunday's tone: a frothy confection perfect for consumption when the viewer desires a break from the rigors of life.

Especially on Sunday's three episodes are connected by a minimal envelope story that involves a boy, a motorcyclist, and some birds. This is the weakest element of the movie, since, in addition to having far too little time to accomplish anything worthwhile, it does nothing to effectively link the more substantial parts of the film.

"The Blue Dog"

Running Time: 0:30

Director: Guiseppe Tornatore
Producer: Amedeo Pagani
Screenplay: Tonino Guerra
Cast: Philippe Noiret

The best of the three shorts, "The Blue Dog" is a sometimes funny, sometimes poignant tale about a man and the unwanted animal who dogs his every footstep. Amleto (Philippe Noiret), an aging Italian barber, has a strong dislike of dogs -- they smell and carry lice. For some unknown reason, however, a dog with a blue spot on its forehead begins to follow him, and the more Amleto tries to shake the animal, the more insistent its pursuit becomes.

Although one might initially think there's little that can be accomplished with such a simple story, "The Blue Dog" reveals surprising depth. Director Guiseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) uses the opening scenes to establish a strong sense of character that persists through the rest of the short. For "The Blue Dog" to work, Amleto has to become a real person, and this is quickly and effectively achieved.

The story's humor is perfectly-placed to counterbalance some of the more serious aspects. Of the three shorts, "The Blue Dog" is the least complex, the longest, and the most engaging. It shares with "Snow on Fire" the theme of how the loss of something familiar can profoundly affect a life.

"Especially On Sunday"

Running Time: 0:24

Director: Guiseppe Bertolucci
Producer: Giovanna Romagnoli
Screenplay: Tonino Guerra
Cast: Ornella Muti, Bruno Ganz, Andrea Prodan, Nicoletta Braschi

"Especially on Sunday" is the most erotic of the three segments. The story opens one Sunday afternoon with the suave, confident Vittorio (Bruno Ganz) encountering Anna (Ornella Muti) and her supposed brother, Marco (Andrea Prodan). There is an immediate sexual connection between Vittorio and Anna, but Marco's constant presence prevents them from acting on the attraction. As the day winds down, Vittorio tries subterfuge to gain his ends, but instead discovers something completely unexpected.

About the only connection this short has with its predecessor is the brief appearance of Amleto grumbling about how dogs stink and carry lice. However, the erotic aspects of "Especially on Sunday" link it in tone, if not content, with "Snow on Fire".

While "Especially on Sunday" is a nice dance with the unusual, it's incomplete. The plot and characters need substantial fleshing out, and none of the relationships are ever effectively established. There's certainly enough material here for a full-length feature, so the cursory treatment accorded the story leaves the viewer wanting more.

Ornella Muti's performance is easily the most memorable element of "Especially on Sunday." The beautiful, exotic Muti is perfectly cast in the role of a wild, mysterious temptress.

"Snow On Fire"

Running Time: 0:23

Director: Marco Tullio Giordana
Producer: Mario Orfini
Screenplay: Tonino Guerra
Cast: Maria Maddalena Fellini, Chiara Casselli

"Snow on Fire" is about complicit voyeurism. Caterina (Maria Maddalena Fellini, the sister of the legendary director) lives in the bedroom above her newly-married son. One night, she discovers an easily-dislodged brick in the floor. Removing it, she finds a window into her son's bedroom. As she watches him and his bride (Chiara Casselli) making love, the two womens' eyes meet, and the daughter-in-law makes it clear that she doesn't mind being observed.

In addition being the shortest story in Especially on Sunday, "Snow on Fire" is, perhaps surprisingly (considering the subject material), the least engaging. The premise is interesting, but somehow all the pieces don't fall into place. We aren't given an opportunity to know Caterina or her daughter-in-law, so we don't care about their motivations. The morality of their nocturnal activities is examined separately by both women (each through a confession to a priest who tries ineffectually to deny his fascination), but all that these scenes amount to is empty speech-making. With its beautiful photography but poorly-realized characters, "Snow on Fire" rarely manages to work on a higher level than the most superficial, visual one.

© 1993 James Berardinelli