I saw this movie many times in my life : childhood , teenage years , adulthood and I laughed all the time and every time for a different reason , but I also penetrated through a deeper meaning , through a concealed message hidden inside the movie . That is because myself I experienced how is to be alone in a foreign country , how is to live an immigrant's life away from your native country . It is not only about Italians , is a tribute to all those desperadoes , easy prey ,those easy to fool people(immigrants)...who themselves they are fooling each other and they are bragging about social conditions that they will probably never achieve but they present them like their day to day normal way of living : good paid salaries , American car , paid off house , but the reality is different : their life is a nightmare ! They are tragicomic situations in the movie , I will enlist just a few : -Then the Italian grandmother wants to talk to their nephews (at the airport), the kids speak only English , that also is an common thing amongst immigrants (that happens to many immigrants not only Italians , but generally speaking to people who are ashamed of their roots) -Then the spouse by mail (Carmela) is taken care by Amedeo at the airport she jumps quickly in the Rolls-Royce she thinks is normal that every immigrant drives Ferrari,Lamborghini,Mercedes,BMW,Rolls-Royce......etc. -In the train when Carmela tries to reach Amedeo (who had a seizure) she takes a seat next to 3 compatriots who of course they speak Italian between each other , and they narrate about a mine where so many people from Bergamo died therefore it is was called the cemetery of bergamasci ,also she is not uttering a single word in Italian , that is another common thing between immigrants who don't want to mingle with fellow compatriots. As somebody said already immigrants are living in their past ... before the bad choice they made , they are uprooted with whatever happens in the motherland . You will laugh in this movie but you will also shed a tear (or more), anyway you will admire two great actors of the (in my opinion) world cinema : Alberto Sordi and Claudia Cardinale.