Robert De Niro stars in a comedy film after 3 years with 'The Irishman' co-star

Sebastian Maniscalco might not sound like a popular actor's name, but anyone who saw The Irishman might recognise him as the mobster Joe Gallo. Maniscalco began his career performing stand-up comedy in various clubs, and his success as a comedian stems from his ability to connect with audiences through his witty and relatable anecdotes about everyday life.

His comedic material often revolves around his Italian-American upbringing, family dynamics, and the absurdities of modern society. He utilised these comedy elements together in his latest semi-biographical film, About My Father, where he acts as himself alongside The Irishman co-star Robert De Niro.

De Niro is no stranger to comedies. Although he is known for his roles in The Godfather and Taxi Driver, his career started with comedy films in the late 1960s. From The Wedding Party to the contemporary Dirty Grandpa, he established his prowess as a prolific comedy actor. In About My Father, he plays the role of Salvo Maniscalco, a prominent hairdresser in the 1980s and the father of Sebastian.

Salvo is just like other Italian-American dads: overly patriotic for America, prone to cultural shock, and possessive of their children. Middle-aged Sebastian will marry his long-time lover Ellie, a wealthy American woman, so he needs his father's support. As per Sebastian's request, Salvo stays with Ellie's parents for the Independence Day vacation to get to know his future daughter-in-law's family better.

Salvo discovers that his and Leslie's family cultures clash quite differently. He faces cultural shock and struggles to appreciate Leslie and her family. In front of a rich, white, protestant family, Salvo feels disconnected, coming from a humble Catholic background in Sicily. 

This is where the story gets funny and interesting. The father-son duo traverses through their chemistry to accept Leslie as Sebastian's wife in hilarious twists and turns throughout the film.

Under the guise of comedy, this film is heavily family-oriented. Sebastian continuously becomes embarrassed by his father's behaviour around Leslie's family, but Salvo is just himself: being frugal, opinionated, and disliking pretentiousness like every immigrant father. He wants to accept Leslie and her family as his family and make sure his son is well-accepted by them too. Both families are weird, but they try to connect in a comical but heartwarming way.

About My Father was released on May 26th, and the over $29 million budget film grossed only $5.4 million at the box office. As De Niro comedies are considered, they are known to flop at the box office but later gain cult-classic status. Will this film gain this status too? Only time will tell.

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