The Italians - 2025

Disclaimer: The publicist for The Italians contacted the Unsung Cinematics team and asked them to review this film. They received no compensation in return for their review, and their opinions are their own.

In this family, everything is on the table! For their new full length episode, Stewart, Rastislav and Ken review The Italians, a 2025 release from All In Pictures. It played at several film festivals and has been available on VOD since April 2025. The screenplay is by Lisa Phillips Visca, and Michelle Danner is the director and lead actress in the role of Angelina.

The story follows Angelina and Vincenzo, a California-based couple whose marriage definitely has its share of ups and downs. The newest shake-up arrives when their son Nico brings his new girlfriend Lily to a family dinner; she is a vegetarian atheist, which of course conflicts with Angelina and Vincenzo’s old school values. Vincenzo sees Nico’s affection for her and is more welcoming, but friction between Angelina and Lily soon becomes evident. Unfortunately, this won’t be the only trial for Angelina; a health challenge, a secret held by Vincenzo and a reunion with her estranged mother will need to be faced. With enough humour and heart, this dysfunctional family can hopefully get back to bonding at the dinner table.

Stewart, Rastislav and Ken all agree that the cast elevated the material; their line deliveries were very clear, which was appreciated in light of how dialogue can be hard to distinguish in some modern films. There was some feeling that Visca’s experience with stage plays needs further adaptation to the craft of screenwriting. There are some story stumbles early on, but more of a groove is found as the film progresses. They felt that Danner (who is also an acting coach) was effective in her portrayal, likely informed by her family experiences.

Written by Lisa Phillips Visca, and directed by Michelle Danner. Starring Danner as Angelina, Rob Estes as Vincenzo, Matthew Daddario as Nico, Abigail Breslin as Lily, Perrey Reeves as Min, Luca Riemma as Father Joe, and Lainie Kazan as Lucia. Unrated, but has some coarse language and suggestive content.

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