Illuminata

REVIEW
Turturro’s second effort behind the lens is a sumptuous and lyrical comic romp that explores life, love and lust in the confines of a tightly knit theatre troupe. Vaguely set in turn-of-the-century Italy (well, at least everyone’s name is Italian!), the action centers around the megalomaniacal Tuccio (Turturro), a playwright who’s searching for his first hit, struggling with his wife and ingénue, Rachel (his real-life wife Borowitz), and fending off his theatre’s owners (McCann and D’Angelo) who want to supplant his work with Ibsen. He smells his big chance when he is approached by the Sarah Bernhard-esque Celimene (Sarandon in a marvelous turn) who wants to woo him away to her own company. Bawdy adventures abound all over with Walken making a masterful appearance as an Oscar Wildean theatre critic who takes a shine to a bit player (Irwin); Bassi going gaga over his bosses wife (D’Angelo); and Sewell trying to steal the heart of the luminous leading lady Rachel. Turturro’s script (cowritten with Brandon Cole) is a pure delight, full of Shakespearean conceits, sprightly in tone and with a giddy atmosphere that infects the entire ensemble. A loving look at a theatrical company in turn-of-the-century New York. Director Turturro plays the resident playwright who has written a new play, "Illuminata," for his lover (played by Turturro's wife Borowitz).