Libero De Rienzo made quick dialogue feel conversational, with an irony that suited ensemble comedy. We value that ease, and the uncomfortable use it finds in Fat Girl, where courtship becomes a means of applying pressure.
Fi1m perspective
Fernando's courtship in Fat Girl (2001) is a negotiation, with affection being used to apply pressure. Libero De Rienzo plays him opposite Roxane Mesquida's Elena, whose desire to be wanted makes the encounter difficult to watch. His conversational manner matters here: the pressure comes within an exchange that still looks like courtship. He need not make Fernando an obvious monster for the exploitation to be plain.
We were upset by the sexual negotiation because Elena's vulnerability was so plainly being used against her. Catherine Breillat stays with the exchange long enough to stop us dismissing it as a misunderstanding. Mesquida carries the conflicting feelings, and De Rienzo gives her something troubling to respond to without distracting from her performance. A forced later turn weakens Fat Girl, but the discomfort of this encounter has been earned.
That ease also suited the wisecracking young men of his comedies. Bart in Santa Maradona (2001) was a breakthrough role, making good use of his quick dialogue and comic timing. His dishevelled, ironic presence gave the comedy someone recognisable to work with, and much of the pleasure came from his rapport with the other performers. It is worth remembering after Fernando that being good company was also part of his work.
The dramatic turn in Fortapàsc (2009) gave him a substantial role as the journalist Giancarlo Siani. His principled man under threat is credible, although the script can become too insistent about its lesson. Comedy was not something he left behind: as economist Bartolomeo Bonelli, he returned across the Smetto quando voglio trilogy (2014–2017). Those ensemble films drew on his timing and his ability to work with other performers.
For the less comfortable side of De Rienzo, start with Fat Girl. Its young leads deserve much of the credit, and our recommendation comes with reservations about Breillat's plotting. Do not choose it for a reassuring evening.
Biography
Libero De Rienzo was an Italian actor, film director and screenwriter. Born in Naples, he was raised in Rome and began acting in the late 1990s.
He appeared as Fernando in Catherine Breillat's Fat Girl (2001) and as Bart in Santa Maradona (2001), for which he received the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor. Other film roles include Giancarlo Siani in Fortapàsc (2009) and Bartolomeo Bonelli in the I Can Quit Whenever I Want trilogy (2014–2017). He also directed and wrote the 2005 feature Blood, Death Does Not Exist.
De Rienzo died in Rome on 15 July 2021, aged 44.
