Mario Bettini, a student living in Cremona, has great ideas. Together with his close friends, he wants to open a club in a nice spot, something he thinks will be a success. Mario's dreams are short lived when his group run into bureaucratic problems. To make things difficult, he receives a letter from city hall, telling he has been accepted for an opening, after four years of waiting. His widowed mother is happy for him; Mario certainly deserves this break.
What Mario did not realize is, that in accepting the position, he will come face to face with an envious man in charge. Mario, is told by his boss, Cerqueti, who is clearly a political appointee, to work with Faoni, a man that has spent forty years working in the place and is looking forward to his retirement. Bettini, proves to be smarter than the mediocrity that surrounds him, something that elicits Cerqueti's anger when he realizes the new employee is smarter than he will ever be.
As a result of having devised a plan to make things work in the cemetery, he is permanently assigned to the graveyard. Faoni, who tries to reason with him, is not able to change Mario's mind. When he meets the gorgeous Linda, Mario falls head over heel with her. Unfortunately, she has won a scholarship and will be going to America to further her studies. The sudden death of his good friend Faoni, is a sobering reminder of an unfulfilled life gone to waste.
Alessandro D'Alatri, the director, and one of the writers of the fine screenplay, shows a great new talent in the Italian cinema. There are a lot of ideas in this tale of a plain man trying to fight a system that has existed for quite a long time. A young, perhaps somewhat naive man, witnesses first hand the behind the scenes intrigue going on in the same place that is to serve the people of the community. It is also an expose about people that get in charge of institutions through connections, which seems to be the case with Cerqueti. Mr. D'Alatri's message has to do with envy, as he sees it, or has perhaps experienced in his own life. We are sure that other less talented men would have died to make this movie.
Fabio Volo is perfect as Mario, the talented young man that is kept down because he is smarter than the people in charge. Mr. Volo has great presence and seems to be a natural for the screen. This actor shows a promise that should go far, judging by the work in the film. Valeria Solarino, who plays Mario's love interest, makes a beautiful Linda. Massimo Bagliani is perfectly sly as Cerqueti. Vittorio Franceschi is seen as Faoni. Thomas Trabacchi is fine as Bicio. Mr. D'Alatri gets good acting from the supporting cast.
The beauty of Cremona and the surrounding countryside are gorgeously captured by Italo Petriccione, while the incidental music created by Louis Siciliano works well with the picture. It is to Alessandro Bettini's credit this film is a pleasure to watch.
What Mario did not realize is, that in accepting the position, he will come face to face with an envious man in charge. Mario, is told by his boss, Cerqueti, who is clearly a political appointee, to work with Faoni, a man that has spent forty years working in the place and is looking forward to his retirement. Bettini, proves to be smarter than the mediocrity that surrounds him, something that elicits Cerqueti's anger when he realizes the new employee is smarter than he will ever be.
As a result of having devised a plan to make things work in the cemetery, he is permanently assigned to the graveyard. Faoni, who tries to reason with him, is not able to change Mario's mind. When he meets the gorgeous Linda, Mario falls head over heel with her. Unfortunately, she has won a scholarship and will be going to America to further her studies. The sudden death of his good friend Faoni, is a sobering reminder of an unfulfilled life gone to waste.
Alessandro D'Alatri, the director, and one of the writers of the fine screenplay, shows a great new talent in the Italian cinema. There are a lot of ideas in this tale of a plain man trying to fight a system that has existed for quite a long time. A young, perhaps somewhat naive man, witnesses first hand the behind the scenes intrigue going on in the same place that is to serve the people of the community. It is also an expose about people that get in charge of institutions through connections, which seems to be the case with Cerqueti. Mr. D'Alatri's message has to do with envy, as he sees it, or has perhaps experienced in his own life. We are sure that other less talented men would have died to make this movie.
Fabio Volo is perfect as Mario, the talented young man that is kept down because he is smarter than the people in charge. Mr. Volo has great presence and seems to be a natural for the screen. This actor shows a promise that should go far, judging by the work in the film. Valeria Solarino, who plays Mario's love interest, makes a beautiful Linda. Massimo Bagliani is perfectly sly as Cerqueti. Vittorio Franceschi is seen as Faoni. Thomas Trabacchi is fine as Bicio. Mr. D'Alatri gets good acting from the supporting cast.
The beauty of Cremona and the surrounding countryside are gorgeously captured by Italo Petriccione, while the incidental music created by Louis Siciliano works well with the picture. It is to Alessandro Bettini's credit this film is a pleasure to watch.