What can I say about this... let's say... "particular" movie? It isn't specifically hilarious, its jokes are mostly dated and overdone, and some might even sense that some "good ol' habits" (in this case, slight hints of racism) are having a hard time dying out.
No. What is intriguing about this movie, above its irrational success in the former cinematographic powerhouse that was Italy, is its message... and the period in which it is being delivered. To reassure some of you, it is NOT a negative message. Far from it, it seems to encourage people to get out of the country and discover places, take risks and feel confident about your capacity to rebound in cases of failure. The only hitch is that "paradise" figures out to be... Norway. And that, in comparison, Italy has corruption and bureaucratic laziness that most Latin American or African tin-pot dictatorships would only dream of. On top of public sector workers only obsessed with keeping their undeserved jobs and perks.
And this is where the positive qualities of the movie (undeniable levels of energy, that do not always compensate a certain sense of amateurishness; thoroughly likable characters, far from being developed) die. When a TV series like "Yes Minister" (which I would recommend for those who think this movie is too "popular") was subtle and pretty dark in its denunciation of administrative incompetence, leviathan-like civil services and government in general, this movie is both blatant and outspoken about its "targets". In the midst of a reformist drive led by Matteo Renzi back in Italy (with reforms in working contracts, public sector pay and the like), this movie resembles... no, clearly represents a highly coordinated, government-sponsored marketing job by Checco Zalone and his team. No amount of publicly-financed TV ads, speeches, exposes and/or documentaries could've done such a job. This has to be a premiere for such a nation. A study-case in what a nation will become under its current ruling class. And seeing its record-breaking intake, it seems that most people are liking it...
No. What is intriguing about this movie, above its irrational success in the former cinematographic powerhouse that was Italy, is its message... and the period in which it is being delivered. To reassure some of you, it is NOT a negative message. Far from it, it seems to encourage people to get out of the country and discover places, take risks and feel confident about your capacity to rebound in cases of failure. The only hitch is that "paradise" figures out to be... Norway. And that, in comparison, Italy has corruption and bureaucratic laziness that most Latin American or African tin-pot dictatorships would only dream of. On top of public sector workers only obsessed with keeping their undeserved jobs and perks.
And this is where the positive qualities of the movie (undeniable levels of energy, that do not always compensate a certain sense of amateurishness; thoroughly likable characters, far from being developed) die. When a TV series like "Yes Minister" (which I would recommend for those who think this movie is too "popular") was subtle and pretty dark in its denunciation of administrative incompetence, leviathan-like civil services and government in general, this movie is both blatant and outspoken about its "targets". In the midst of a reformist drive led by Matteo Renzi back in Italy (with reforms in working contracts, public sector pay and the like), this movie resembles... no, clearly represents a highly coordinated, government-sponsored marketing job by Checco Zalone and his team. No amount of publicly-financed TV ads, speeches, exposes and/or documentaries could've done such a job. This has to be a premiere for such a nation. A study-case in what a nation will become under its current ruling class. And seeing its record-breaking intake, it seems that most people are liking it...