Angelo Barberini is tha gay son of Italians Gino and Maria. He is trying to sort out his life and make some meaning of it. He thinks his biggest problem is that he hasn’t “come out”, but learns that it isn’t even the beginning of his problems. True to the style of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, Mambo Italiano trades laughs on cultural idiosyncracies and it works.

Being Italian means a lot to Angelo. He has grown up in “Little Italy” and gone to Catholic school, where he was constantly tormented for being a “fag”. He didn’t leave home until his late 20’s, because you only left home when you got married or “in a box” and Angelo was never going to get married. His parents were ‘betrayed’ by Angelo when he left home, they felt they were rejected and so the family dramas escalated as a result.

Angelo meets with his old childhood friend Nino Paventi, who had abandoned him at high school as he didn’t want to be labelled a fag. Angelo and Nino soon become lovers, but to hide their secret, date good Italian girls. Angelo wants to come out, Nino doesn’t. Angelo’s sister discovers them by accident one day and fearing the secret is out, tells his parents, who in turn tell Nino’s mother. And so the torment and hilarity begin.

Nino did not want to be outed and begins to turn away from Angelo. He wants to be considered normal and so starts dating Italian girls for real and revenge. Nino meets a girl from their old school, Pina Lunetti and they soon become a couple, unbeknown to Angelo. Nino is still living with Angelo and their families want them to be straight as they think it is just a ‘phase’ they are going through. It is obvious there will be twists and turns and lots of laughs at the expense of poor Angelo and Nino as the film progresses. Eventually this is sorts itself out in the end, quite satisfactorily for all concerned.

Throughout the film is various other connecting threads, such as Angelo’s sisters search for her own identity, and his parents often hilarious but gradual acceptance of Angelo being a ‘homosexuali’ and Angelo’s desire to become a TV writer. Paul Sorvino and Ginette Reno are brilliant as Angelo’s parents. Claudia Ferri is wonderful as Anna. The only weak link in the acting was Peter Miller as Nino, for some reason he reminded me of a tall, poor man’s Nick Giannopoulos and that was simply not appealing in any way.

Don’t expect to be blown away by this movie, but do expect a fair bit of fun and a little pathos.

THE EXTRAS

Deleted scenes - These are 2 scenes not shown in the film and an extended version of the ‘family catastrophe’

Theatrical trailer

Featurette - Usual short documentary Approx 11 mins) with the cast and crew.

Outtakes - The usual blooper real of the actors mistakes, fun, but nothing out of the ordinary.

CONCLUSION

Angelo Barberini is tha gay son of Italians Gino and Maria. He is trying to sort out his life and make some meaning of it. He thinks his biggest problem is that he hasn’t “come out”, but learns that it isn’t even the beginning of his problems. True to the style of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, Mambo Italiano trades laughs on cultural idiosyncracies and it works.