A crazy and hilarious film by one of the most unjustly undervalued directors of Italian comedy
The fantastic trio of Vitti, Dorelli and Pozzetto will have you in stitches
Flavio Mogherini is an often undervalued director. His cinema (we must at least mention the very original Anche se volessi lavorare, che faccio?) stands out for its attention to imagery (Tullio Kezich defined him a “chiseller of images”), its imaginative reworking of spaces (let’s not forget that Mogherini was also a first-rate scenographer), its good taste which rarely slips into vulgarity and a stylistic approach that heightens the comedic effect. This collection of three stories makes the most of its three lead actors (plus the always excellent Catherine Spaak), by highlighting the individual acting styles that had brought them success on the Italian comedy scene: the neurotic mannerisms of Monica Vitti, the polite perplexity of Johnny Dorelli, and the refined surrealism of Renato Pozzetto (who along with Mogherini also made Per amare Ofelia, another film well worth revisiting). “A hilarious collection that borders on lunacy”, wrote Giovanni Grazzini. It was released in time for the Christmas market, and boasts a quality that present day “Christmas movies” can only dream of.
A film in three episodes. A very close encounter: a woman suffering from phallophobia as a result of being raped by seven Sherpas, is cured thanks to an ethereal extra-terrestrial. The Gregorian Theorem: an insurance salesman puts his wife’s loyalty to the test by pretending to be a potential lover over the telephone. It can’t be explained, you have to see it: a penniless man being pursued by his creditors strikes it lucky when his horse wins a big race.
A crazy and hilarious film by one of the most unjustly undervalued directors of Italian comedy
The fantastic trio of Vitti, Dorelli and Pozzetto will have you in stitches
Flavio Mogherini is an often undervalued director. His cinema (we must at least mention the very original Anche se volessi lavorare, che faccio?) stands out for its attention to imagery (Tullio Kezich defined him a “chiseller of images”), its imaginative reworking of spaces (let’s not forget that Mogherini was also a first-rate scenographer), its good taste which rarely slips into vulgarity and a stylistic approach that heightens the comedic effect. This collection of three stories makes the most of its three lead actors (plus the always excellent Catherine Spaak), by highlighting the individual acting styles that had brought them success on the Italian comedy scene: the neurotic mannerisms of Monica Vitti, the polite perplexity of Johnny Dorelli, and the refined surrealism of Renato Pozzetto (who along with Mogherini also made Per amare Ofelia, another film well worth revisiting). “A hilarious collection that borders on lunacy”, wrote Giovanni Grazzini. It was released in time for the Christmas market, and boasts a quality that present day “Christmas movies” can only dream of.
A film in three episodes. A very close encounter: a woman suffering from phallophobia as a result of being raped by seven Sherpas, is cured thanks to an ethereal extra-terrestrial. The Gregorian Theorem: an insurance salesman puts his wife’s loyalty to the test by pretending to be a potential lover over the telephone. It can’t be explained, you have to see it: a penniless man being pursued by his creditors strikes it lucky when his horse wins a big race.
