AllMovie

Inspired by a real-life event, Italian director Roberta Torre's Sud Side Story offers its own farcical version of the Romeo and Juliet story: this time, Romeo is Romea (Forstine Ehobor), a beautiful Nigerian girl, Juliet is Toni Giulietto (Roberto Rondelli), and Verona has been replaced by the slums of Palermo, Sicily. Romea is a prostitute who has been smuggled into Italy to work for her "manager" until she can pay off her huge bondage fee. When she and her fellow prostitutes move into a seedy neighborhood, their presence causes a scandal among its residents, particularly the three fat and obstreperous aunts of Toni Giulietto. Toni, who works as a rock singer and Elvis imitator, falls in love with Romea, creating further scandal among his neighbors as well as among Romea's friends. Both sides are up in arms and consult various voodoo doctors for magic potions that might put an end to the love affair. As Sicilian culture collides with its African counterpart, the clash between the two groups highlights the inherent difficulties of integration.