Castellano & Pipolo
Il bisbetico domato

THE REVIEW

A cheeky comedy from 1980 by Castellano and Pipolo, starring Adriano Celentano, who was at the height of his acting career at the time, and Ornella Muti in excellent form.

The good Celentano plays the character of Elia, a rich, arrogant landowner loved and respected by the entire small agricultural community. He lives in a farm-villa with his black nanny who chides him for being a boor and for living a healthy life devoid of fun and social activities, but filled with work and genuine food. Enter by chance, due to a broken-down car, the rich and capricious Ornella who takes advantage of the nanny's hospitality and imposes herself into the life of the calm Elia, who will snub her heavily. Ornella does everything to win over the super farmer Elia, who eventually gives in out of exasperation.

Adriano fits perfectly into the role of the arrogant individual and displays his charming, roguish face throughout the film. The role of the womanizer doesn't suit him, but it seems that his gruffness (and wealthy forties) is the key to winning over capricious women. The peak of the cheekiness is reached when in the village square, Elia challenges a machine for grape pressing and wins. The village supports him by singing an improbable trash-song "Dai che ce la fai, riuscirai" with the splendid (classic) cameo of the jubilant Jimmi the Phenomenon. The film's music is entertaining, and overall, the little story is amusing.