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Rating: Funny comedy from 1984 directed and scripted by the duo Castellano and Pipolo.
Forty-year-old Artemio (Pozzetto) lives in a house without electricity or running water located in a tiny rural village. However, the genuine life of a farmer ends up feeling too confining, and tired of the situation, he decides to seek his fortune in the Milanese metropolis. The impact is overwhelming, and the chaos of Milan's traffic and lights disorient the farmer, who initially turns to his cousin Cicerchia (Boldi), who, however, "hires" him as a thief. Artemio tells him to go to hell because he is fundamentally honest and tries to return the loot from his first mugging by tracking down the young and beautiful victim (Angela). A connection will develop between the two, and Artemio will try to court her, unsuccessfully. In the end, exasperated and penniless, he will be forced to return to his village and resume his usual rhythms and acquaintances.
The descriptive aspect of Milan is fascinating. The urban jungle is full of pitfalls, and around every corner, the crowd can be an enemy. Among thefts, hysterical traffic wardens, traffic, dishonest taxi drivers, overcrowded hospitals, unemployment, the hectic pace, and stadium violence, poor Artemio finds himself in serious trouble. The lodging he finds, an extremely expensive and ultramodern residence, is a paradox, but nowadays, unfortunately, in some cases, such an extreme housing solution has become a reality: a tiny studio without windows (thankfully there is air conditioning) with furniture that pulls out when needed. If we want, the film was a bit ahead of its time. Still, the life of a single person in search of a decent job (possibly in the tertiary sector, Artemio will try in insurance) is now a reality.
The film gives a grotesque vision of 1980s Milan, but today the grotesque is daily bread. The extreme cost of living and inefficient public structures, the lack of humanity, and modern frenzy shocked Pozzetto in the 1980s just as much as they wear down today's "man of the 2000s." Artemio left to find a new life, a woman to marry. Though in love with Angela, he will realize, after countless efforts, that he is out of reach for the ambitious manager whose pace is furious and incomprehensible. Artemio's renunciation and return to the country village are somewhat the descriptive symbol (if we want, the moral) of the comedy: home sweet home.
The characters of the village are skillfully crafted and are very effective (Jimmi the phenomenon cannot be missed, of course). Pozzetto is wonderful and effective, delivering, with his innate humor, incredibly fitting forms of communication and lexical expressions typical of his interpretative style. Pleasant entertainment and laughs.
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