Review: Uno su due (2006)

Directed by: Eugenio Cappuccio | 102 minutes | drama | Actors: Fabio Volo, Ninetto Davoli, Giuseppe Battiston, Anita Caprioli, Tresy Taddei, Paola Rota, Manuela Spartà, Pino Calabrese, Sara Bagnetti, Alberto Basaluzzo, Agostina Belli, Paola Cerimele, Valter Corelli, Gionata Corridoni, Alessandra Cortesi, Francescocandra Cortesi, Rachele Ghersi, Paola Lavini, Sandra Mirkovic, Maurizio Pompella, Giampiero Rappa, Edoardo Ribatto, Iryna Salukha, Alice Visconti

One in two is the chance that the young, ambitious lawyer Lorenzo Maggi will be diagnosed with cancer. One in two. ‘Uno su due’ is an Italian drama by director Eugenio Cappuccio. Fabio Volo and Ninetto Davoli play leading roles as Lorenzo Maggi and trucker Giovanni respectively. The film was first shown at the 2006 Rome Film Festival.

The life of lawyer Lorenzo Maggi seems too good to be true: he has a good job, a beautiful house, a beautiful wife, his best friend is his partner and he has a large sum of money in prospect. Then his life suddenly takes a very nasty turn when he collapses in front of his friend Paolo. Lorenzo wakes up in the neurology department of a hospital and shares a room with trucker Giovanni, a cancer patient. When Lorenzo learns he is being tested for cancer, his world collapses. Giovanni teaches Lorenzo to deal with the great uncertainty about his future. This creates a special friendship between the two.

Outside the hospital, Lorenzo has difficulty living on; that’s why his girlfriend leaves him. Furthermore, the large sum of money he would receive turns out to be fraud. However, through these setbacks and Giovanni’s wisdom, he learns what is really important in life. When things then quickly go downhill with Giovanni’s health, Lorenzo decides to grant his last wish. He goes in search of Giovanni’s daughter to mend the relationship between him and his daughter. The theme ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’ is a bit cliché, but it has been worked out well. The story is nice and entertaining, but the film lacks the necessary emotional charge in some scenes. A good example of this is the scene in which Giovanni and his daughter Tresy see each other again after a long time. A scene that can be expected to trigger the necessary emotions in the viewer. Unfortunately that does not happen, as a viewer you will not be caught by this scene. In addition, it seems that 102 minutes of film time has been adhered to and that all scenes have been crammed into that time, without room for more. You don’t get to know the character Lorenzo Maggi any better than is necessary for the story. And there are other things that are only just or barely explored sufficiently, such as the special friendship between Lorenzo and Giovanni. And that is a shame. You do not get to know the character Lorenzo Maggi better than is necessary for the story. And there are other things that are only just or barely explored sufficiently, such as the special friendship between Lorenzo and Giovanni. And that is a shame. You don’t get to know the character Lorenzo Maggi any better than is necessary for the story. And there are other things that are only just or barely explored sufficiently, such as the special friendship between Lorenzo and Giovanni. And that is a shame.

Despite the lack of time, fortunately there is still something to enjoy from ‘Uno su due’. The story is nice and the scenes are often beautiful and well cared for. The scenes are often supported by very diverse music: from light melancholic music to jazz and classical. The music is characteristic, a bit in the style of ‘Le fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain’. The music is proportional to Lorenzo’s mental state. He is introduced as a fast boy and that is supported with smooth music and an appropriate dose of humor. A nice interaction. In addition, it is of course the ‘different’ atmosphere that this Italian production brings with it that is nice and surprising.

‘Uno su due’ is a nice film with a nice message, but not a high flyer. The main flaw of the film is the intended ‘lack of time’ and the lack of conveying emotion. Due to that lack of time, some matters have barely been explored sufficiently and that is a shame. Furthermore, ‘Uno su due’ has a good story and is ultimately an entertaining film. For those who sometimes want something different than a Hollywood production and are not averse to a drama, ‘Uno su due’ is recommended.