Two other culinary hallmarks are present: the espresso and the focaccia - the flat oven baked bread, typical of the area. Italy is obviously about pasta too, but definitely not spaghetti with meatballs, and Luca, quickly presents an array of the specialities that one can taste in the boot-shaped land, like fusilli, penne, cannelloni, lasagne and the glorious Ligurian trenette al pesto. But there are also lyrical moments with the classical arias like, O mio babbino caro from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini and Figaro from Gioacchino Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. It gets even better with the music selection, that includes the most iconic songs from the Sixities and Seventies, such as: Il Gatto e La Volpe by Edoardo Bennato, Fatti Mandare Dalla Mamma by Gianni Morandi, Viva La Pappa Col Pomodoro by Rita Pavone and Città Vuota by Mina. Italy is in the details, as its references are scattered with apparent nonchalance, from an image of Marcello Mastroianni on the Vespa and a film poster of Federico Fellini’s La Strada, to Giulia’s cat named Machiavelli - blatant tribute to the Renaissance writer. Thus, the Italian Riviera coastline is celebrated through its stupendous polychrome houses and harbours, filled with fishing boats, pescherie, latterie and trattorie. All of these coalesce in the fictional village of Porto Rosso, in the Sixties. Originally from Genoa, Casarosa has decided to create a love letter to his region, and he does so by unveiling the Cinque Terre area, which is characterised by the centuries-old seaside villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. In 2012, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the animated short film La Luna, and he is now the first Italian to direct a Pixar feature movie. But this time, the director of this stars-and-stripes animation is a true Italian who has been living in the US for years: Enrico Casarosa. The depiction of Italy and Italians, in American films, has often been a cliche of spaghetti, mandolins, Mafia, Mamma Mia and pinched fingers gestures, which have never felt close to home to the actual inhabitants of the Bel Paese. The film is wondrous for a number of reasons, starting with its cultural appreciation approach. The two outcasts will experience an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, scooter rides and the chance to overturn prejudices surrounding sea monsters. The animation is a coming-of-age story about a young aquatic creature who turns into a human boy, once he rises above the marine surface, with his newfound best friend Alberto, who shares his same ability of metamorphosis. The latest Disney Pixar film, Luca, brings this magic to its peak. Those who populate these films show how they can become masters of their destiny and that love has many nuances, whether it is family ( The Incredibles), toys ( Toy Story) or friends ( Finding Nemo). Disney has always had the power to evoke dreamlike scenarios, through fairytale narratives that would primarily focus on romance, and Pixar expanded this uplifting skill, by creating stories and characters that would focus on self-affirmation. Pixar movies have brought Disney classics to an evolution, in terms of themes and empathy.
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