Francesco Massaro
Miracoloni

LA RECENSIONE

After a series of demanding films, I went looking for some comedy to cleanse the palate. That's how I stumbled upon Miracoloni, a 1981 film that piqued my interest after reading the plot and the cast.
Francesco Salvi, Mauro di Francesco, Umberto Smaila and Franco Oppini, Nadia Cassini, Anja Pieroni, Simona Marchini, Moana Pozzi, Bombolo...
I was expecting a light, vulgar, and senseless film—one of those where you fall asleep halfway through and it's still okay. Instead, I found myself dealing with a crazy yet anything but incoherent comedy, somewhat blasphemous but sensibly provocative. Very likeable characters, even though I usually get irritated by the whole drive-in world. But this film was shot a couple of years before that world began: it's not a cinepanettone yet, it hasn't yet brought the overdose of consumerist and commercial values that some of these comedians later tied themselves to in the following years; rather, on the contrary, when summing things up, it returns to a popular story that ends well for those who know how to be satisfied with little.
There are some jokes that don't make you laugh, but also some hilarious moments, and a pleasant impression that the cast themselves had a lot of laughs while making the film. There's also Moana, then roughly unknown, in a cameo of a few seconds.
I'm not saying the film is groundbreaking, but I found it testifies the transition from one era to another. That is a great characteristic quality of a piece of popular culture. Also for this reason, in addition to some big laughs I've already mentioned, I think the film has value.
Subject and screenplay by Gianfranco Manfredi (yes, him!), Enrico Vanzina, and Francesco Massaro.