Avanti!

( 2 )

Overview

This enchanting yet dark romantic comedy stars Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills as a pair of mismatched lovers helplessly drawn into a series of seemingly hopeless but humorous situations as in Lemmon's The Out-of -Towners two years earlier. Lemmon is Wendell Armbruster Jr., an overbearing American business tycoon forced to travel to the beautiful Italian island of Ischia to claim the body of his recently departed father. What begins with a rather elementary premise evolves into a succession of somber twists and ...
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Overview

This enchanting yet dark romantic comedy stars Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills as a pair of mismatched lovers helplessly drawn into a series of seemingly hopeless but humorous situations as in Lemmon's The Out-of -Towners two years earlier. Lemmon is Wendell Armbruster Jr., an overbearing American business tycoon forced to travel to the beautiful Italian island of Ischia to claim the body of his recently departed father. What begins with a rather elementary premise evolves into a succession of somber twists and turns, as Armbruster meets Pamela Piggott Mills, the daughter of his father's mistress, who, Lemmon is appalled to learn, died alongside Armbruster Sr., while zipping through the Italian countryside in his sportscar. Even worse, the family who owns the vineyard that his father's car crashed into has stolen the bodies in exchange for damages. Although plagued with a plethora of such problems, as well as an inability to enjoy life and the ulcers to prove it, Wendell eventually falls in love with Pamela, almost exactly as his father did with her mother.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Lucia Bozzola
Overlooked and underrated, Avanti! may be late Billy Wilder, but it still sports his inimitable touch (even with the uncharacteristically salty language and nudity). Scripted by Wilder and longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, Avanti! covers familiar Wilder/Diamond comic territory with its story of uptight rich American Jack Lemmon finding more than he bargained for, particularly in the person of overripe Brit Juliet Mills, while on an emergency trip to Europe. Sardonically clear-eyed about the compromises of life and romance, Avanti!'s love story is also sweetly wistful as Lemmon and Mills reenact their parents' Italian pas de deux, complete with a humorous skinny dip at dawn. Wilder keeps it all moving with aplomb, yet takes the time to let the glorious Ischia locations work their seductive charms. Clive Revill provides superb support as the scheming hotel manager, while Pippo Franco's one scene as an Italian coroner elevates bureaucratic efficiency to an art form. Though not as renowned as such prior Lemmon/Wilder/Diamond classics as The Apartment (1960) and Some Like It Hot (1959), Avanti! is well worth a look.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/22/1994
  • UPC: 027616309334
  • Original Release: 1972

    • Rating:

  • Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Jack Lemmon Wendell Armbruster
Juliet Mills Pamela Pigott
Clive Revill Carlo Carlucci
Edward Andrews J.J. Blodgett
Gianfranco Barra Bruno
Franco Acampora Armando Trotta
Lino Coletta Cipriani
Raffaele Mottola Passport Officer
Janet Agren Nurse
Francesco Angrisano Arnold Trotta
Antonio Faa di Bruno Concierge
Giselda Castrini Anna
Pippo Franco Mattarazzo
Guidarino Guidi Maitre D'
Harry Ray Dr. Fleischmann
Aldo Rendine Rossi
Giacomo Rizzo Barman
Yanti Somer Nurse
Technical Credits
Billy Wilder Director, Producer, Screenwriter
I.A.L. Diamond Screenwriter
Basil Fenton-Smith Sound/Sound Designer
Luigi Kuveiller Cinematographer
Carlo Rustichelli Score Composer, Musical Arrangement
Ferdinando Scarfiotti Art Director
Frank Warner Sound Editor
Ralph Winters Editor
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 2 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A forgotten treasure

    Avanti is a classic comedy that seems to have slipped under the radar. It simply hammers you with one laugh and one smile of admiration after another -- partly from the situations in which the main characters find themselves, but mostly the wonderful dialogue from all the characters. It harks back to the days when the fine use of the English language and twists of plot were depended on for entertainment -- rather than foul language and steamy sex. In fact, its modest use of sexual tension and some innocent nudity help make the film unforgettable. I kept thinking about this film for weeks after seeing it on cable in 2007. I wondered why I hadn't heard of it before. Lemmon is simply outstanding, and the rest of the cast is not far behind. You may be left with the desire to book a flight to Naples and take the ferry over to Capri as soon as possible.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Full of Surprises

    Very enjoyable movie. Something is always happening to keep you watching. Sometimes action, sometimes romance, sometimes sex.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews