Insane in Italy
Winner of multiple awards, Insane is the feature length debut of writer/director Eros D’Anatona and certainly lives up to its name as it follows a peculiar sadomasochist named Condom and his sidekick Adam as they are sent to a little village in southern Italy to kill a professional killer.
Interestingly the film is partly shot in D’Antona’s hometown of Taranto in the Puglia region located in the south-east of Italy and Los Angeles in the USA. This mix of locations helps give the film the feel of a film with a much bigger budget while the mixture of language (English and Italian) adds that air of authenticity that I like showcasing the differences and really bringing you into the world as you suspend belief for (runtime) no matter how crazy the premise or characters.
Our titular lead, Condom is an eccentrically dressed, died blond haired wiseguy with a real sense of humour who is both likeable and highly likeable thanks to Robert D’Antona’s (Dylan Dog; In Articulo Mortis) portrayal of the character. You’ll notice that he has the same surname as writer/director Eros and this is no mere coincidence as the two are brothers but thankfully this is not a case of nepotism just good casting and this thankfully can be extended across the rest of the crew.
Despite a few, clear budgetary restrictions and the usual Italian disdain of a clear, linear narrative - Insane is a quirky comedy crime drama that has no right being as fun as it is and will appeal to all fans of slightly off-the wall, zany independent cinema as well as those who get a kick out of the work of the likes of Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.
Clearly made by a talented cast and crew, D’Antona and company prove that you don’t need a big budget just ideas to make a successful film and if you are looking for something different to check out, you can’t go far wrong with this bizarre piece of contemporary Italian independent cinema.
Insane is available from all the usual places and to rent online from Brinkvision (who also put out Sonno Profondo in the US) here.
Or you can visit the official website and Facebook page.
Check out the trailer below.