Ginger and Fred is a 1986 satire about television and fame from Italian director Federico Fellini. 40 years ago, Amelia Bonetti (Giulietta Masina) and Pippo Botticella (Marcello Mastroianni) had a small success as an Italian song-and-dance team recreating the work of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. They went their separate ways but then a TV variety show, "We Are Proud to Present," invites them to reunite for their Christmas special. Each of these elderly performers has a reason for getting their rusty routine back in the spotlight. Amelia wants to impress her grandchildren and Pippo desperately needs the money. Long detached from show business, they find themselves surrounded by a dubious cast of celebrities: midget tango dancers, a defrocked priest, the inventor of edible panties and movie star imitators in the guise of Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth. As the imitation Fred and Ginger shakily prepare to perform "Cheek to Cheek," the mad circus around them provides a surreal commentary on what constitutes entertainment.moreless
