«Shark Teeth», an immature but interesting first work

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An Italian first work capable of intriguing is the protagonist of the weekend in cinemas: “Teeth from sharks”, the directorial debut of a feature film for Davide Gentile, already author of the remarkable short film “Food for Thought”.
At the center of the plot is Walter, a thirteen-year-old boy who will see his life change during one summer. Walter has recently lost his father in a tragic accident: from that moment her mother has withdrawn more and more into herself and is struggling to find a dialogue with her son.
School is out and Walter spends his days wandering around aimlessly, until the day his attention is captured by a mysterious place, a villa with a large swimming pool. However, the water in the pool is murky and, contrary to the young man’s first thought, the villa is not abandoned.

Produced by Gabriele Mainetti (director of “They Called Him Jeeg Robot” and “Freaks Out”), “Shark Teeth” is a classic coming-of-age story, which chooses the summer season as the canonical temporal form of passage in the existence of the young protagonist, that during those months he will have to understand who he wants to be in the course of his life. From the elaboration of mourning to the fragility of pre-adolescence, passing through the representation of a particular criminal microcosm, there is really a lot of meat in the fire and this film certainly does not lack ambition intense and interesting, albeit the victim of some passages that are too immature and of a rhythm that works on and off.

Between fairy tale and realism

However, the general tone that Gentile gives to the work is very fascinating, thanks to the mix between a fairytale style with a rather gothic flavor and a decidedly concrete idea of ​​realism. The union between these two registers is courageous, but as the minutes go by the film settles on tracks that are too well known and predictable, despite the good characterization of all the characters on stage. In the cast there are several well-known faces such as Edoardo Pesce, Claudio Santamaria and Virginia Raffaele, but the very young protagonist Tiziano Menichelli stands out above all, a really nice discovery. Despite some unsuccessful moments, “Shark Teeth” is still a product to be seen, which demonstrates the talent of a director who could do really important things in the future.

Jail 77

Another moderate film is “Prison 77” by Alberto Rodriguez, a film that received several Goya nominations. Set in Spain in 1977, the film tells the story of Manuel, a young accountant awaiting trial for embezzlement of money, who risks to receive a sentence of many years. Together with his cellmate, the boy will be part of a movement common to all prisons, which fights for freedom. This union will have a strong impact not only on prison law, but on the whole of society. A political drama of considerable harshness, “Prison 77” recalls the years of Francoism and the dictatorship to describe events that many have forgotten and removed.Already known for having directed “La isla minima”, Rodriguez has a good hand and his film is incisive, albeit excessively didactic and a little too forced in some passages. The ideas that the author wants to offer, however, reach the viewers loud and clear and the feature film involves and excites at the right point. To be seen.