Author's judgement: 
A genre that is quite abused but certainly successful at the box office is the so-called "cinepanettone" usually in theaters from the first days of December, just in time for Christmas. As we wrote last year, they are films that you may or may not like, but they have certainly told a small part of the history of this country through cinematic images. The film that we propose this week is The first stone, signed by director Rolando Ravello, starring an amazing Corrado Guzzanti.
The story is very topical: we are in an Italian school, in an unspecified place but could be anywhere, where an episode occurs on the eve of the Christmas holidays destined to upset the delicate school balance. A child throws a stone at a window and two janitors are injured, the parents (or rather, only a part of them) are called to ask for accountability and responsibility. As far as everything was apparently clear, however, in front of the principal, the uproar breaks out. The same ruckus that will be the grand finale with an unpredictable outcome. The film is definitely comical and manages to arouse joy as rarely happens for national products, inclined more towards a winking smile than a loud laugh.
It is a simple theatrical exercise, where the protagonists are all excellent (from Valerio Aprea to Iaia Forte, from Serra Yılmaz – a Turkish actress well known for her participation in Ferzan Özpetek's films – to Lucia Mascino and Kasia Smutniak). The topics addressed are those that are debated every day: from the integration of communities to religious differences, from small daily violence to moral respectability. Everything is presented lightly enough to be seen with pleasure and, at the same time, with the necessary attention so as not to be distracted by what is happening around us. In other words: if you are looking for a good film, light and funny, this is a good opportunity for the upcoming holidays.
Speaking of December, we point out a particular circumstance: the return of black and white films. We talked about it last week on the programming of Roma, by Alfonso Cuaron (which was quite successful in theaters so much so that it was only supposed to go for three days and instead was extended). The release of is expected in the next few days Cold War (we wrote about it last June) where we talk about a tragic, essential love, and proposed in a black and white, dry, clean, exactly like Rome.
Also for this month, the cine-documentary on Orson Welles, drawn but material in possession of the daughter and never seen before. Again mostly in black and white. It is interesting to note that when it comes to focusing on quality images, some directors or producers propose to exclude color from their cinematic vision (and shoot on film instead of digital). Let's express an opinion on what we have seen both for Rome and for Cold War (to which we will return next week): a decidedly appreciable result, worthy of all the attention they have received so far in the various countries where they have so far been screened.
