Generally dreadful, with one great performance - by Filippo Nigro
25 November 2011
Diverso da chi? is a romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor funny. Its manic, screeching, chattering pace is exhausting and goes nowhere but around and around and around a tired old formula that was done much better seventy-five years ago during the heyday of Hollywood screwball comedies. All it adds to that formula is an appallingly moronic and insulting gay element.

The ONLY thing that makes this irritating and offensive movie worth watching is a lovely, sweet and courageously subtle (especially in this Bugs Bunny cartoon of a movie) performance by Filippo Nigro. I started watching this movie to see Luca Argentero (who was captivating in Özpetek's Saturno contro), but I stayed with it ONLY for Nigro.

I disagree that Argentero will become a big international star despite starring in movies like this. He may still, but if he wants to (and if he's smart, he doesn't, because superstardom destroys the humanity in actors) he'd better get smarter about what roles he takes. He is gorgeous for sure, but if he has talent to match his looks he doesn't show it in this turkey. He only does two expressions: confused and pouting, and only the pouting is believable.

And for such a gorgeous man, he has surprising little sexual chemistry on screen; the love scenes with both his male and female lovers are equally contrived and unconvincing. In Saturno contro, Özpetek may have brought out more than Argentero actually has inside.
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