One Man Up

Two men with the same name: Antonio Pisapia. One is a pop singer known in the eighties whose career collapses in a sex scandal. The other is a footballer who will never play again after an injury. The film runs the two lives in parallel; both men become suddenly useless and neither can get past it. It is Paolo Sorrentino's first feature, which he also wrote. Toni Servillo plays Tony Pisapia the singer and Andrea Renzi plays Antonio Pisapia the footballer. Pasquale Mari photographed it. It screened in the Cinema del presente section of the 58th Venice International Film Festival. Sorrentino won the Nastro d'Argento for Best New Director. The film also took the Ciak d'oro for its screenplay and the Grolla d'oro for Servillo's performance. This is the start of the long Sorrentino and Servillo partnership; the two went on to Il Divo and The Great Beauty. Who it is for: viewers curious about where Sorrentino began and who like Italian films about decline. Who it is not for: anyone expecting the visual splendour of The Great Beauty. This film is barer, smaller and deliberately unlikeable.