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Rating: How much is Massimo Venier missed by the quintessential Italian comedy trio, Aldo Giovanni e Giacomo? And how much is Marina Massironi missed, especially in theater? Let's quickly analyze the trio's filmography: all their movies up to "Tu la conosci Claudia?" were at least good, not masterpieces but very commendable (for me, the debut feature "Tre uomini e una gamba" remains unmatched), and even if the stories weren't very original, they were supported by gags and jokes ranging from "grandiose" to "ingenious". Then, honestly I don't know why, the paths of the trio and the director parted ways, and Silvana Fallisi joined the official lineup (already present in "Chiedimi se sono felice" and other films in minor roles), replacing Massironi: thus began the slow decline of the legend Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo. The decline started with Anplagghed (a still enjoyable show but light years away from Corti and Tel chi el telùn), and it hits its lowest point in that collection of disjointed and absolutely not funny gags that was "Il cosmo sul comò", which I consider one of the worst Italian films of the 2000s (excluding the holiday comedies, of course). After a slight recovery with "La banda dei Babbi Natale", they fall again with "Ammutta muddica" and with this film, which I would place at the same level as Cosmo: "Il ricco, il povero e il maggiordomo". I absolutely do not want to say that the blame for this decline lies SOLELY with the absence of Venier and Marina, but they are certainly two important factors to consider.
But let's talk about the film in question: the plot, all in all, is slightly more original than previous films, even some of their gems. Giacomo is a wealthy entrepreneur, and Giovanni is his butler who, one day, to avoid being late for an appointment, takes a one-way street the wrong way and hits Aldo, an itinerant vendor. To compensate him, Giacomo hires him as a butler. Due to a bad investment, Giacomo falls into disgrace, and the three are forced to live in Aldo's mother's house and will try to regain Giacomo's lost fortune amid weddings, funerals, and whatnot.
When I entered the cinema hall to see this film, I admit, I was quite hesitant and scared: I feared another disappointment, I feared it would be an absolutely mediocre film. Not without reason. "Il ricco, il povero e il maggiordomo" is decidedly a mediocre film, with no element on which to build a true cinematic discourse. Morgan Bertacca’s direction is the worst in the trio’s entire filmography, with extremely forced camera movements, impossible not to notice, distracting from the narrative. It almost seems as if the director (if one can call Bertacca that) is yelling at the audience: "HEY, YOU, VIEWER WHO SPENT MONEY AND TIME TO WATCH THIS FILM, LOOK, WE ARE MOVING THE CAMERA!". The acting of the three main performers is borderline horrendous, even Giovanni, who among the three I've always considered the best actor, provides a tired and poor performance. Never, however, as much as Giacomo, who seems demotivated and uninterested. And... I would like to avoid the topic of "comedy", but it feels wrong. So I will say just a few words about the gags: the comedy in this film is absolutely stale, it reeks of old. How many times have we seen the gag of a person playing golf hitting someone on the head with the ball? Billions! And this is just one of many examples of recycled gags that are absolutely not up to the level this trio carries on its shoulders. In short, "Il ricco, il povero e il maggiordomo", along with "Il cosmo sul comò", is definitely the worst product of the ultra-twenty-year career of the trio (which was, alas) the best in Italy and a perfect way to waste your time.
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