User Reviews

Again a sad comedy about the reality of post war economic boom time in Italy .... and the difficulty of the humble average Italian trying to adapt to the new reality !! Alberto Sordi plays the part of a humble elementary school teacher good at his job , happy with his modest station in society ! Not so his beautiful ambitious wife whom he loves dearly ! As in many Alberto Sordi films, his character always profoundly devouted to his wife, falls victim to his wife's exaggerated ambitions....with disastrous consequences !! Because its directed by the Genovese film director Elio Petri(a film director sensitive to social issues), this Italian comedy is even more hard hitting in its condemnation of consumerist fever and down right greed which hit Italy in the 1950's and 1960's, and it presents a rather negative picture of Italian women(which unfortunately is realistic). Unlike American films which always ends on a happy note, this film ends sadly but realistically in the best traditions of European cinema ! This film is similar to "il boom" , but better ! My vote , definitely 9 (a vote I rarely give to Italian films).