Reality
2012 · Italy, France · 115 min
- Director
- Matteo Garrone
- Screenplay
- Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Ugo Chiti
- Producer
- Matteo Garrone, Domenico Procacci
- Music
- Alexandre Desplat
- Cinematography
- Marco Onorato
- Editing
- Marco Spoletini
- Production company
- Fandango, Rai Cinema
Awards: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix · 1 nominations
What the critics say
80 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviewsCast
What it is about
Luciano is a Neapolitan fishmonger, married with children, who grows increasingly fascinated by Grande Fratello, Italy's best-known reality show. Encouraged by friends and relatives, he attends an audition at Cinecittà studios in Rome. Back in his neighbourhood, he waits to hear whether he has been picked, and the waiting begins to reshape his daily life and the lives of those around him. The film looks at the dream of television fame with irony and a growing unease, showing how a simple wish can turn into an obsession.
How it was made
After the success of Gomorrah (2008), Matteo Garrone wanted a change of pace and planned his next project as a comedy. The screenplay, written with Massimo Gaudioso and Ugo Chiti, is based on a true story, though it grew darker than originally intended, and Garrone himself has doubted whether the finished film can really be called a comedy. Fandango and Rai Cinema produced, with co-production support from France's Le Pacte. The eleven-week shoot began on 5 May 2011 in Naples and Rome. Lead actor Aniello Arena was discovered by Garrone in a play staged by inmates of the Volterra prison; Arena has been serving a life sentence for murder since 1991.
Reception and legacy
Reality competed in the main competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Grand Prix. In Italy it earned a nomination for the David di Donatello for best director. Critics were largely positive: on Rotten Tomatoes it holds an 80% approval rating from 79 reviews, and on Metacritic it has a weighted average of 76 out of 100. Reviewers often describe it as a blend of dark satire and drama, and it reinforced Garrone's standing as one of the most recognised Italian directors of his generation following Gomorrah.
Stills
Trailer
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Trivia
An actor with an unusual background
Aniello Arena, the film's lead, has been serving a life sentence for murder since 1991. Garrone discovered him in a play staged by inmates of the Volterra prison.
A different working title
During production the film was known under the working title Big House.
More films by Matteo Garrone
Gomorrah
Dogman
Io Capitano
Tale of Tales
Pinocchio
The EmbalmerOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.