Director: LEONARDO PIERACCHIONI. Screenplay: Leonardo Pieracchioni, Giovanni Veronese. Story: Giovanni Veronese. Photography: Mark Melville. Special visual effects: Renato Longi. Make-up: Matteo Silvi. Stunt co-coordinator: Gianluca Petrazzi. Executive producer: Alessandro Calosci.

Copyright 2009 by Levanti, Srl. Italian release through Medusa: 18 December 2009. (A superb Medusa DVD with loads of really fascinating extras).

SYNOPSIS: The ghost of Marilyn Monroe helps a swimming pool builder to recover the affections of his wife and daughter, both of whom are currently under the protective spell of a circus strong man/sharp- shooter.

COMMENT: Although it doesn't sound like much fun from the synopsis, this movie is a real delight from start to finish. The highly inventive jokes, the wacky characters and the ingenious comedy situations flow so thick and first, it's a relief to be able to recover a sense of balance from the prevailing delirium when one or two of the support comics give out with an extremely verbose story that has very little in the way of a rousing punch line. But they do it all with such blithe enthusiasm, we tend to laugh anyway.

As far as the main plot with Suzie Kennedy and director Leonardo Pieracchioni goes, it's an absolute wow. And Miss Kennedy gives the most lifelike impersonation of the century. She's terrific!

Aside from the reservations expressed above, the director's pacing is admirable, his sense of comedy admirably sharp, and his own performance highly ingratiating.

Gualterio Marchese, not the famous chef, is an export in swimming pool maintenance. He is a divorced man living a humdrum existence in Florence. He is an aimless individual with no clear idea about what to do with himself. One day, while playing cards, his friends suggests to a neighbor does a seance to see if his life gets back on track after his former wife Ramona has taken up with Pasquale, a circus knife thrower. Ramona, being part of the act, is always in danger of being stabbed if anything goes wrong.

When Gualterio is asked to make a wish he wants to get the most beautiful woman in the world: Marilyn Monroe. As his wish is granted, the beautiful Marilyn begins appearing to Gualterio everywhere. His wish turned out to be a nightmare because he is made aware Marilyn is nothing but a ghost. Trying to get Ramona back proves more elusive as she and Pasquale are deeply committed.

"Io & Marilyn" conceived by Lorenzo Pieraccioni, is a fantasy about love lost and never regained. The screenplay was written by the director and Giovanni Veronesi. The film is more a farce than anything else. There are some laughs. Mr. Pieraccioni acts in his films; he is a talented man who could achieve better results if he would concentrate more on being in front of the camera than being in both places at the same time. The casting of Suzie Kennedy as the ghostly Marilyn is fine and works in the film. Biagio Izzo and Barbara Tabita have good moments in the film.