Published via Ecency

(source:tmdb.org)

Just like the rest of Europe, Italian film industry has seen the better days. Once powerful enough to rival Hollywood in the glamour and prestige, Italian film-makers are now struggling to escape arthouse ghetto. Taking a cue from their French and Spanish neighbours, at least some Italians are trying to rejuvenate their cinema industry by films directed towards pleasing ordinary audience rather than snobbish critics. In doing so, some of them have shown ability to give Hollywood and their fellow countryman Roberto Benigni a run for their money. Most formidable is the quartet of directors – Aldo Baglio, Giovanni Storti, Giacomo Poretti and Massimo Venier – that became famous due to their successful 1997 comedy Three Men and a Leg.

Of those four men three - billed in the film simply as "Aldo", "Giacomo" and "Giovanni" - appear before the camera and are introduced as trio of neurotic assassins in 1963 Dallas. This prologue is revealed as nothing more than "film within film" and the plot is quickly set in modern day Milan where three men - who share their first names with actors playing them - work in hardware store owned by vulgar and tyrannical nouveau riche businessman Cecconi (played by Carlo Crocollo). Two have secured their jobs by marrying Cecconi's daughters and Giacomo is about to do the same. Trio prepares to travel to the south of Italy where Cecconi lives. Their father-in-law wants them to deliver a wooden leg, which is actually a masterpiece by renowned artist Garpetz. During the travel trio experiences all sorts of problems and meets beautiful vacationer Chiara (played by Marina Massironi), which is enough for Giacomo to start reconsidering his upcoming marriage.

Almost everyone involved in this project, including Massironi, had years of experience in theatre, stand-up comedy and television. They also had experience of working together on popular television show Mai dire Gol. This reflects in display of formidable comic abilities and perfect interaction. On the other hand, quality of writing, while sufficient for individual sketches, leaves something to be desired when it comes to feature-length plot. This is problem is solved by using the template of a road movie which allows Three Men and a Leg to drift in various directions.

The quality of humour is surprisingly good. Those accustomed to Hollywood standards of comedy are going to be awed by the authors' lack of "political correctness" and other forms of self-censorship that had castrated American film industry. On the other hand, authors never go over the top and the film always keeps its human dimension. The only problem that this film might encounter is outside Italian borders. Humour in some scenes is difficult to understand for those who don't have at least some familiarity with social, cultural and political issues of modern Italy. Dream sequence that refers to regional animosities between Italian North and South is one of the examples. The ending is a little bit abrupt. However, those are the minor flaws. Three Men and a Leg deserves to be watched all over the world just as it deserved commercial success in Italy.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on October 11th 2004)