Lake Como Films
When Hollywood arrives at Lake Como and falls in love with the views
Among artists, painters, writers, and cultural figures, the personalities who have drawn inspiration from Lake Como are difficult to count. But cinema brought a turning point: first it was Manzoni who described the Lake Como territory in words, Segantini in his paintings... Then directors, captivated by the Lario's panoramas, began filming successful movies on its shores.
Thousands of tourists visit Lake Como, searching for the actual set of their favorite film, hoping to encounter a famous actor. Here are some films, directors, and casts that have found a second home at Lake Como.
The Other Man
Director: Richard Eyre
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney
Year: 2008
The film tells the story of Lisa, who leaves her husband to escape with her lover to Lake Como. Consumed by jealousy, her husband travels to Lake Como to meet the other man, in a climactic scene set in the lobby of a renowned Lario hotel. Lake Como serves as the backdrop for a love-driven escape, passion, and the pursuit of freedom: the embodiment of this sentiment is captured in the scenes and poster shots featuring the couple's motorboat tour.
007 James Bond - Casino Royale
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench
Year: 2006
Cinema's most famous spy stops at Lake Como: Bond pursues LeChiffre, a terrorist, with the help of Bond Girl Eva Green. After an intense battle, James Bond is hidden at an exclusive clinic, Villa del Balbianello in Lenno. Lake Como takes center stage again with Villa La Gaeta in San Siro, in the film's final scene and especially the iconic line "My name is Bond, James Bond."
Ocean's Twelve
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vincent Cassel, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bruce Willis, Vincent Cassel, Adriano Giannini, Casey Affleck
Year: 2004
In the second installment of the successful trilogy chronicling the adventures of the group of thieves led by Danny Ocean, the protagonists stop at Lake Como at Villa Erba, residence of the rival thief, played by Vincent Cassel. These locations are showcased magnificently through filming on Via Regina toward Villa Oleandra and scenes accompanied by a Riva motorboat between Cernobbio and Torno.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Director: George Lucas
Cast: Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson
Year: 2002
Second episode of the second series directed by George Lucas: Senator Padmé Amidala and young Anakin Skywalker hide on the planet Naboo and marry in secret. Famous is the young Jedi's declaration of love and eternal protection on the lakeside terrace of Villa del Balbianello in Lenno. The story will then take a completely different turn. For devotees of the series, the deleted picnic scene at Varykino, the location's name in the story, is the Rogaro plain, a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the lake between Tremezzo and Griante. Precisely because of the wedding scene celebrated in the Villa's courtyard, countless couples wish to marry in this magical and moving location.