Oscilloscope Laboratories The director Matteo Garrone on the set of “Reality.â€In the Italian comedy-drama “Reality,†a Neapolitan fishmonger named Luciano (Aniello Arena) seeks fame by trying to land a spot on “Big Brother,†the reality TV show. Along the way he loses his grip on his sense of self and his relationships with those around him. The film plays as a satire of Italian society, but also as a commentary on how such instant fame can affect a culture.
It’s the latest feature from Matteo Garrone, whose last film, “Gomorrah,†was also set in Naples. But the brutal tones and muted look of that crime drama have been exchanged for a bright color palette and a more upbeat spirit in “Reality,†even if there is a bleak undercurrent to the narrative.
“Reality†played the film festival circuit last year, picking up a prize at Cannes. Mr. Garrone spoke about his film during an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival. Here are edited excerpts from that conversation.
What made you interested in telling a story where reality television plays a key role
It’s based on a true story that happened to a friend of mine, which was surprising for me. I thought it would give me the chance to do something different from “Gomorrah.†So I tried to develop this story and make a sort of bitter comedy. Also, it was a chance for me to make a journey around my country and a journey through the mind of a character.
Did you look at a lot of reality shows
No, we used “Big Brother†because it was very popular at the time. But we thought the program wa! s not important. What was important was that it gave the character the chance to change his life and become rich. We tried to tell the story from the point of view of the character and to understand him, not to judge.
What did you hope to say about the effect of television on people’s lives
For many people, to be on television, it means to exist. For some, what happens in television is more real than what happens in real life. Television is a sort of certification of reality. So for Luciano, it became almost existential, his desire to be on “Big Brother.†It turns into not just him wanting to be rich, but something more.
Although the film has some dark tones, it has bright colors. Could you talk about the look
Oscilloscope Laboratories Aniello Arena plays Luciano in “Reality.â€For us, it was a sort of fairy tale. And so we wanted to have powerful colors and a kind of magic to it. My reference, in a way, was Pixar, sort of a cartoon feel. We wanted to have very strong colors, but at the same time, we didn’t want to make fun of the characters.
How did you find the actor who plays the lead
His name is Aniello Arena and he’s an actor who performs with a company of prisoners at the Volterra prison in Tuscany.
My father, who was a theater critic, and I used to go every summer to see the company’s new play. I discovered Aniello in this company and asked to use him for “Gomorrah,†but I couldn’t, because that story was too connected to his past in crime. So I asked the judge about using him for this movi! e and we ! succeeded in getting him. He worked on the set during the day and at night, he went back to jail.
What was it that struck you about him
I thought he was a very good actor and also his face is a working-class face. It’s not easy to find an actor like that today in Italy because most of them are from the middle class.
Also, there’s a surprise that you see in his eyes when he is playing this part. I think it is thanks to the fact that he’s been in prison so long. So he really discovers something in the acting. It’s a sort of marriage between the character and the person.
