Gigio Alberti is Giulio. In “Vicini di casa”, the comedy that ironically deals with the taboo of eroticism through the encounter between a couple in crisis and a fit and uninhibited one, invited for an aperitif by the former to give a boost to the relationship, the Milanese actor, Oscar winner in 1992 with “Mediterraneo” by Salvatores, is the man of the couple in crisis.

“A very funny, caustic character, who in terms of humor I feel quite close to, and who I like, because he responds to some mental constraints that I also have,” reveals Alberti, who closed the Sardinian tour of “Vicini di casa” yesterday in Carbonia (Friday he was in Lanusei and Saturday in Oristano). A show in which he shares the stage with Amanda Sandrelli, who plays Anna, Giulio's partner, and Alessandra Acciai and Alberto Giusta in the roles of Laura and Toni, the uninhibited “neighbors.” “The theme is open-mindedness, we should be a little more open-minded than Giulio, but I honestly believe,” adds Alberti, directed in the cinema by (among others) Grimaldi, Virzì, Comencini, Muccino, Bellocchio and Brizzi, “that openness tout court to everything becomes conformism.”

Would you have preferred the part of Toni?

“When the show started, the idea was to distribute the roles differently and I thought I'd play him, and I have to say that I enjoyed it, also because it's very far from my way of thinking. Doing things that are distant from yourself, free from what you can't free yourself from in life, is better and you have fun”.

Have you ever encountered a similar situation?

“Not yet, although in some cases the thought has crossed my mind: “Isn’t it that these?!”. But not with the neighbors! The truth is that Laura and Toni burst into Anna and Giulio’s life almost with an excess of happiness, insinuating the doubt, “But if it’s all so simple, then I’m stupid,” when in reality a path to healthy relationships must be taken, and it’s not always easy.”

More comfortable in the theatre or on a film set?

“Since I am not very sure of myself, having immediate feedback from the public makes me prefer the former. I got there very casually with a mime course by Paolo Rossi: in the end we did a show with monologues written by him, and that's where I started. Most actors are chronically insecure, and playing different personalities somehow frees you from your own. It's something that's worth several psychoanalysis sessions”.

Which film character are you most attached to?

“My first film as a protagonist was “Marrakech Express”, so I’m happy if they identify me with Cedro. It represents a desire for escape, travel and adventure that was of a season, and that now is perhaps less possible. For a generation it was like undressing a little. It was liberating”.

A memory of Sardinia?

“A trip in a dinghy during my military service: there were five of us, we went around the beaches and when the tourists arrived we went somewhere else. A wild trip”.

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