Review of Italianamerican (1974) by Adam W — 27 Feb 2009

Scorsese's parents, talking over each other, kidding each other, for about an hour, while Catherine Scorsese makes meatball sauce (recipe in the end credits). It's fairly wonderful; Scorsese just lets them talk, and we sense gradually that the real subject of the movie is New York, its ethnic make-up, and its influence on Scorsese.

But at its heart is the relationship between Scorsese's parents. 'I am not putting on airs!' shouts Catherine to Charles. 'You want a fight or something?' Later: 'my father's name was Martin, but a lot of people called him Phillip.

Don't ask me why.' Marty is onscreen, and we sense his concentration on the film; he isn't just chatting with his parents, although he's doing that too. There are also moments of silence, and introspection.

This is on Youtube; seek it out.