Acqua e sapone (1983)

An Italian-born actress turned stage mother brings her daughter Sandy to Rome for three months' work as a supermodel. Sandy, who's between "soap and water" and womanhood, needs a tutor. Mom... See full summary »

Director:

Carlo Verdone

Writers:

Franco Ferrini (screenplay), Franco Ferrini (story),

Stars:

Carlo Verdone, Natasha Hovey, Glenn Saxson

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carlo Verdone	...	Rolando Ferrazza
Natasha Hovey	...	Sandy Walsh
Glenn Saxson	...	Ted
Elena Fabrizi	...	Sora Ines (Rolando's grandmother)
Fabrizio Bracconeri	...	Enzo
Michele Mirabella	...	Guidi
Philip Dallas	...	Father Spinetti
Florinda Bolkan	...	Wilma Walsh, Sandy's mother
Christian De Sica	...	Announcer
Anna Maria Torniai	...	Trucidona
Jimmy il Fenomeno	...	sor Pasquale
Maurizio Romoli
Guido Mariotti
Alvaro Gradella
Alberto Canepa

Storyline

An Italian-born actress turned stage mother brings her daughter Sandy to Rome for three months' work as a supermodel. Sandy, who's between "soap and water" and womanhood, needs a tutor. Mom wants scholarly Father Spinelli, but when she calls his school, she reaches Rolando, a janitor who longs to teach. He's broke, so robed as a priest, he shows up to take the job. He's a terrific teacher, but Sandy soon realizes he's not Spinelli and will keep quiet only if he'll take her out under the guise of study. When mom meets the real Spinelli and sacks the child-like Rolando, Sandy sulks; then she figures out how to act on her feelings for Rolando and on her emerging maturity.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | rome italy | fake identity | 1980s | older man younger woman relationship | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

18 October 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Soap and Water

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Intercapital

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Verdone style!

The fourth film of Carlo Verdone is another interesting result of the style of its actor-director. Verdone -who is considered by many people the heir of Alberto Sordi- offers an intelligent and never vulgar comedy, with good dialogs. An unemployed professor pretend to be a priest (from a catholic college) in order to get a job. He succeed in teaching a young girl, a young model...

"Acqua e sapone" has a very simple story, it's the story of two different worlds which meet. The interesting point is that the character of Carlo Verdone has to take another "identity" for getting in touch with the snubbish world of the girl and her family, and the girl has to "transform" herself each time in modeling... The film is a comedy but has sweet and sour moments. In an ordinary Hollywood comedy the classic happy end would have been compulsory. Not here (in European and in Italian comedies in particular there's always a mixture of jokes and sadness). The film contains the typical ingredients of the Verdone style: laughs, gags, and impossibility of reaching a quiet life. Another highlight of this movie (of a young Verdone) is the presence of Elena Fabrizi, "sora Lella" (the sister of Italian legendary actor Aldo Fabrizi). Her lines in Roman dialect are simply amazing!