An Italian Name


An Italian Name is a 2015 Italian comedy film directed by Francesca Archibugi.
The film is based on the French play Le Prénom and its 2012 film adaptation What's in a Name?.

Plot

Paolo Pontecorvo, the son of a left-wing Member of the Italian Parliament who survived the Holocaust and passed away years earlier, is a successful real estate agent known for his quick wit and love of practical jokes. He and his wife Simona, an aspiring writer, are expecting a child. During a dinner party at the home of Paolo’s sister Betta and her husband Sandro — also attended by their friend Claudio — Paolo announces, with dramatic flair, the name they’ve chosen for the baby: Benito.
The name, however, is just part of a prank. The guests, all of whom have strong emotional ties to the memory of Italy’s Fascist era, react poorly. What starts as a heated exchange of opinions quickly escalates into a full-blown confrontation, with long-standing values, personal choices, and even the guests themselves being questioned and attacked, leading to insults and hurt feelings. Each character is hiding a secret — somehow connected to the others — that threatens to unravel their relationships.
In the end, reconciliation arrives with the birth of the baby, who, in a final twist, turns out to be a girl.

Cast