Sweet-sour comedy on Italy's 1950's rage to get rich as fast as possible !!The lead actor (Alberto Sordi) plays the part of a psuedo businessman who to satisfy his wife's craving for luxury and a "respectable life" becomes heavily indebted. In desperation he agrees to sell a precious part of his body for a large sum of money.But just before the crucial operation he panics !
The whole film is a grotesque comedy on Italy's obsession of those times to be "respectable" i.e. be rich,show it,and give the impression of being part of the respectable upper-middle class even though "secretly" you are just another of those "noveau riches". The film is very realistic and at times hilarious !Worth to see!
Plot summary
During the economic boom of Italy a man tries desperately to maintain a high standard of living for his family.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Maria Grazia Buccella as Secretary
Movie Reviews
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sweet-sour comedy on Italy's 1950's rage to get rich as fast as possible !!
Reviewed by
Italians at their worst
This is one of those movies where all characters are unpleasant to various degrees, starting from main character Giovanni Alberti, a pathetic man who got into debts to keep up with the Joneses. His wife is shallow and greedy and their "friends" are everything but, a bunch of envious hypocrites who spend their time trying to seduce each other's wives.
After having uselessly asked his "friends" to lend him money (and having been the object of their contempt) Giovanni finds the unlikely solution of his problems in selling one eye to a billionaire. Giovanni is convinced to proceed with the deal by a large amount of money, and the he organises the saddest party in history inviting his "friends" only to be able to spit out all his resentment.
De Sica probably wanted to show how the economic boom of the Sixties corrupted the Italians, and how the only "pure" people were those who didn't care about money, like Giovanni's parents (the only likeable people in the movie). Unfortunately, Italians where probably hypocrites, greedy and nasty even before and haven't changed since. Being Italian myself, I know what I am talking about.
Not a De Sica masterpiece, just a minor, unpleasant film made even more grating by the incongruously cheerful and very dated soundtrack, playing at the worst moment.
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A Review of a Review
The featured review on the main page is mixed up... Vittorio De Sica directed "Il Boom", not Dino Risi. I don't know how he got it confused, especially with De Sica's name right on "Directed By" at the top of the page.
Pretty good movie, 7/10... I guess I find humor in movies in all the "wrong" places.