The Sopranos was groundbreaking in its depiction of the Mafia. One of the more revealing storylines was when the mobster Vito Spatafore turned out to be gay and having a major crush on a short order breakfast cook he called Johnny Cakes. You didn’t see that in The Godfather. The series didn’t have any lesbian moments. Alto is about what happens when a lesbian romance happens in an Italian family that might have connections.
Francesca “Frankie” Del Vecchio (All About Christmas Eve‘s Diana DeGarmo) has a lot happening in her life. She gets engaged to her boyfriend and her band Atavistic Altos is going places. In order to go to the next place, they have to rent a car. Things get a bit awkward when they can’t load their equipment in the truck because there’s a dead body taking up the space. While she’s in a bit of shock, her sister Heather (The Sopranos‘ Melanie Minichino) is excited. She’s a big fan of the Mafia series Mob Hit and senses this guy died in a mob hit, Heather gets Frankie to go to the funeral. They might meet real life gangsters. While trying to get inside, Frankie meets Nicolette Bellafusco (A Joyous Christmas‘ Natalie Knepp) who gives them cover. Frankie tells the funeral pal about the band’s next gig. Nicolette shows up at the bar and is really interested in Frankie’s music. She’s a lesbian who gets around, but she swears she’s more into Frankie’s career. She gets her new friend hooked up for a part on Mob Hit. She might turn out that gig. Frankie’s family is upset how the show that pushes Italian stereotypes. Making things more complicated in the relationship is the FBI is investigating certain family members that might be members of a crime Family. Will any of these families be happy if these two women hook up?
If DeGarmo looks and sounds a bit familiar, she was the runner up on the third season of American Idol. That was the time Fantasia Barrino won. She sounds great here with her musical moments. You can easily imagine herself getting a bit of groupie action from guys and gals in the clube.
DeGarmo and Knepp have a fine “will they or won’t they” chemistry. You are rooting for them to at least see if this is a true attraction between them. The cast also includes Annabella Sciorra from The Sopranos and Billy Wirth from The Lost Boys and American Gladiators.
Alto‘s a fun romantic comedy with a mobster twist. Alto is a great selection for Pride Month when you want a movie that goes well with a lasagna dinner and red wine.
The Video 1.78:1 anamorphic. The resolution is good enough to see the bullet hole in the trunk passenger. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The levels are fine whether there’s singing or kissing. No subtitles.
No bonus features.
Dreamscape presents Alto. Directed by Mikki Del Monico. Screenplay by Mikki Del Monico. Starring Annabella Sciorra, Billy Wirth, Natalie Knepp, Melanie Minichino, Ward Horton, David Valcin, Lou Martini Jr., Lin Tucci, Ron Castellano & Adrienne LaValley. Running Time: 102 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: May 7, 2024.
