Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

kenjha In 1950s Staten Island, an Italian man pursues his dreams of owning a bar. This is a charming, nostalgic comedy from writer-director De Felitta, who later scored a hit with the delightful "City Island." He's someone to keep an eye on, although he's only released three films in ten years. The three leads are excellent: Rispoli as the dreamer, Narducci as his close-minded wife, and Macdonald as an Irishwoman with a white drunkard husband and a black baby. The voice-over narration, while integral to the presentation, is perhaps a bit overdone, as is the ethnic stereotyping. However, the protagonist is likable and the story is engaging so it's easy to overlook any shortcomings.

protek22 This is a wonderful film, that deals with the challenges of ethnic stereotypes and the cultural biases that go with them. Stereotypes are a definite by-product of culture, yet for the most part, usually the worst expressions of a particular culture. In adhering to our birth culture we invariably absorb certain stereotypes, and biases, without even realizing it. People therefore become stereotypical to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon their independence of thought, and self-awareness. The less independent minded, or self aware we are, the more stereotypical we may become.Two Family House is a very well-crafted drama, involving interactions between, an Italian couple, an Irish couple, and an anonymous African American man. The chain of events triggered by their interaction, gives birth to a beautiful love story involving the Italian husband of one couple, and the Irish wife and her child, of the other. Challenged by events that pushes them to the limits of their respective cultural sensibilities, the film portrays how these individuals for various reasons, either succumb to, or transcend, the biases, they were born into. The beauty of the movie is that it shows that through tremendous effort and resolve, it's quite possible to break free of cultural stereotypes, and the irrational hate, that invariably goes with them.

dwacon-2 I found this film by accident while programming my TIVO. The official description of the film didn't really relate with the story was all about.This is fine however, as we don't want to spoil the wonderfully conceived character-based plot. The growth of the characters, and the realizations that they make in the third act, is stellar.Overall, this film is a wonderful character piece that gives a glimpse of racial attitudes in the 1950's in New York (that don't seem so different from the attitudes in the 2000's).The acting was superb and the pace of the plot was crisp. I highly recommend adding this to your TIVO play list.As closing credits rolled, I thought that this is what an award-winning screenplay feels like -- and sadly that doesn't always translate into commercial success.

Ralph Michael Stein This film produces laughs and sighs by presenting the very believable antagonism of two working class ethnic groups in what then was New York City's rural borough, Staten Island. As in life generally there isn't a happy ending for all involved in relationships that are jarred by the real bigotry directed against an Irish immigrant who bore a black child while married to a drunkard of the first water (or whiskey).While Mary is clearly victimized, physically and psychologically, by her boorish Lushington of a husband the symbolic violence is the attitude of the Italian men and women who accept without thinking stereotypes of blacks and Irish. Their comfort in the supposed security of their shared little world was then and is now the hallmark of daily bias in America.The acting is superb. So what if Mary is gorgeous and Buddy average (a safe euphemism). Gregory Peck in a working class Staten Island neighborhood you're not going to find (hmm, is THAT a stereotypical remark?).Rent this film! It's terrific!!