Mario Merola
I figli... so' pezzi 'e core

THE REVIEW

I copy the plot from the internet

Tommaso (Mario Merola) and his wife Matilde make a living on the streets of Naples. The woman is pregnant with their firstborn, but due to a complicated delivery, the newborn dies. In the same hospital, a young woman, abandoned by her partner, dies giving birth to a beautiful baby boy. With the complicity of the midwife, Tommaso replaces the dead newborn with the living one, whom they name Feliciello. Even Matilde dies a few years later of an incurable illness, and Feliciello grows up surrounded by Tommaso's care, who makes all sorts of sacrifices to ensure he lacks nothing. But one day, the biological father comes forward and claims his son…

Film from 1981 with Mario Merola and other riffraff.

It’s not easy to review a “film” like this, and it doesn’t make much sense either. From a technical standpoint, it’s a half mess, no, kidding, it’s a total mess.

The king of Neapolitan sceneggiata then, a repulsive man in appearance even before in person.

A man symbolizing “a certain Naples.” The Naples of ignorant people, people with a big heaaaart (the “o” is strictly closed).

Stereotype of sub-humans devoted to Saint Gennaro, Baby Jesus, the Madonna, and the entire entourage.

Resigned, fatalistic, whiny, nosy, altruistic, very goooood (the “o” is strictly closed like Danè’s too good from the advert with Ciro Ferrara a few years ago).

Mario Merola: natural extractor of strictly Neapolitan’ tears (they are wetter, there are more, and they come directly from the heaaaart).

I compare him to Vanna Marchi, who sold salt to fools passing it off as an amulet.

The audience of Mario Merola (and there are many) is the humblest and most ignorant humanity, just like the fools that Vanna swindled.

And yet:

and yet Mario Merola had personality, sang well, had a beautiful voice, and put effort and passion into it.

Like it or not, Mario Merola was an artist.

In a certain way, his legacy was unfortunately taken up by a piece of insignificant crap, once again in appearance before he even opens his mouth. And when he opens his mouth to sing, his voice is annoying, shapeless like his silly, insipid, bland songs.

Even this disgusting man who unfortunately still roams around has struck a chord with the same audience as Mario Merola, that stupid humanity mentioned above.

You’ve probably guessed I’m talking about Gigi D’Alessio.

You’ve probably guessed that despite an evolution of the human species should have occurred—or rather, it should have happened—over 30 years have passed and technology has made giant strides – certain people still exist and earn a considerable sum in more or less the same manner; there’s never an end to the worst.

p.s. the direction is not by mariomerola, but I certainly couldn’t waste time creating this director!