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Rating: A thankless fate awaits the goldfish. Among pets, it is undoubtedly the least ranked in terms of charm (the cat is preferred), relationship with the owner (the dog), influence on the little ones at home (rabbits and hamsters). The increasingly hectic lifestyle of the owner, combined with the pet's inability to produce more or less articulated and perceivable sounds, causes it to be forcibly deprived of food, sometimes for more than a day, and, as if that were not enough, in the event of death, it is destined for a troubled journey to an afterlife with an unworthy point of access.
For every TV series he shoots, Renè Ferretti owns a goldfish. The metaphor is more than clear. Despite all the right premises from producers and viewers, Italian soap operas follow the same life course as a Carassius auratus: they come to light amidst the excitement of the creators and the lucrative ambitions of the producers, they are housed in a cramped and artificial abode called a set, with which they inevitably become familiar, entertain viewers for a while and then are literally dumped into oblivion. What in jargon is defined as the leitmotif, the recurring theme in the case of "Boris," an Italian situation comedy, is already enough to justify any detectable flaw or inconsistency (though there are none), because it is genius. Television laughing at itself, at the lies hidden within it as fiction.
First broadcast in 2007 and having reached its third season, "Boris" has received critical acclaim (among the awards won, a special mention of merit at the Rome fiction fest 2008) and public success. The action focuses on several characters grappling with the production of a TV series, "Gli occhi del cuore," one of the many sentimental-popular products released every year into the already very glossy schedules by Italian broadcasters. It is a true human comedy where the figures of a director, Renè Ferretti (Francesco Pannofino, also a voice actor) deeply respectful towards his profession but, aware of the system he is entangled in, must reluctantly tolerate the poor results achieved; Alessandro (Alessandro Tiberi), an aspiring director forced to endure harassment and abuses inflicted on him by so-called "stars" and his collaborators; Arianna (Caterina Guzzanti), tyrannically clinging to her job as assistant director; Stanis (Pietro Sermonti), a cocky star and mediocre actor who denies his actual Italian origins ("Tell the cook not to be too Italian..."). In contrast to the stability of the male protagonist character (of "Gli occhi del cuore" that is, since "Boris" has no actual protagonist) who is Stanis, we find a varied range of female subjects, from the pretentious Corinna / Carolina Crescentini to the well-connected Cristina / Eugenia Costantini to the ultra-flamboyant Karin / Karin Proia, hired solely to provide a few "spicy" moments to the soap's viewers. The names mentioned are just the main ones in a long and spectacular procession of human types.
"Boris" does not limit itself to poking fun at Italian television. It irreverently mocks the pettiness of production logics, their inability to interact with the art of entertainment, it illustrates with grotesque and caricatural tones the average Italian audience, devoid of any cultural defense that would allow it to shield itself from the abysmal television levels, it highlights with sarcasm the sluggishness of those working behind the scenes, the triviality of certain comedians, the injustices suffered by those without political protection, the stardom, the frustrations, and the obsessions that spontaneously begin to germinate. The mix is perfectly calibrated even in the third season, which has just begun and is therefore impossible to judge fully, which also presents numerous innovations compared to the previous ones (those interested will do without reading them on this page and can view them directly on-screen). The constants remain: a vivid vocabulary with extensive incursions into that de Roma, a disarming cynicism and sincerity, moments of high comedy, and incisive reflection.
Cult Scene
It is election time. If the right wins, the killer of the count in "Gli occhi del cuore" will be the sodomized from Bergamo, if the left wins, the blame will fall on magistrate Pardieri. But since the outcome is still uncertain, the actor who has the honorable task of revealing the culprit will have to say something else, "the first thing that comes to mind" to be later dubbed:
Cristina: And so you found out who shot the count?
Karin: Do you really want to know who it was?
Stanis: Yes!
Karin: It was 'sto cazzo... yes, I swear!... 'sto cazzo!!!
Renè: Stooooooop!
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