Ginger and Fred

Ginger and Fred (Ginger e Fred, 1986) is Federico Fellini's bittersweet comedy, ready to watch online on iFILM. Decades ago, Amelia and Pippo tap-danced under borrowed Hollywood names. Now a Christmas TV gala drags them back into the spotlight.

The aging partners meet again in a hotel the night before the broadcast and land in a gaudy circus of dwarves, celebrity lookalikes and ad breaks. Giulietta Masina and Marcello Mastroianni play them as if genuinely afraid their legs might fail on live television. Backstage holds more tenderness than the show ever manages.

Fellini aimed his venom at television that grinds real people into filler between commercials. The names come from Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, but the dance here is about exhaustion, affection and the stubbornness of two old performers. A quiet, rueful film for anyone who loves late Fellini. Stream Ginger and Fred (1986) online on iFILM.