Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Giuseppe Battiston | ... | Paolo | |
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Teco Celio | ... | Gustino |
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Rok Prasnikar | ... | Zoran |
Roberto Citran | ... | Alfio | |
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Marjuta Slamic | ... | Stefanja |
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Peter Musevski | ... | Notaio |
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Riccardo Maranzana | ... | Ernesto |
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Ivo Barisic | ... | Dott.Vrtovec |
Jan Cvitkovic | ... | Jure | |
Maurizio Fanin | ... | Jozko | |
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Mirela Kovacevic | ... | Barista |
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Ariella Reggio | ... | Clara |
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Rossana Mortara | ... | Vigilessa |
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Doina Komissarov | ... | Anita |
Sylvain Chomet | ... | Guru delle freccette |
Paolo, passes his days dragging himself between drinking sessions in the local bar with his friends, an unsatisfying job and an infantile stalking of his ex-wife. One day, he comes across his nephew Zoran, a curious boy of fifteen, born and raised in the mountains along with an aunt that Paolo did not know to have. After her death, Paolo is the only person who can take care of the boy. Thanks to the wise man owner of the Paolo's usual bar, he discovers that Zoran has a bizarre and unexpected gift: he is a real champion in playing darts. This is an opportunity for Paolo to take a revenge against the world. But things do not always develop as we would like them to.
This tiny movie made in a remote corner of Italy that basically even Italians don't really know is a delight. You know exactly what's going to happen plot-wise, but you still enjoy every bizarre minute of the ride: the absolutely realistic characters (Roberto Citran's prim and proper 'nice husband' with a nervous streak, the assorted drunkards in the Osteria...), the absurdist humour, young Zoran's Buster Keaton- ish demeanour. Giuseppe Battiston, the protagonist, is a big star in Italy and I hope his "bastard with a heart of gold" character shines through even to people who don't speak Italian. His charisma equals his constantly expanding girth. I actually *clapped* at his five-minutes monologue at the psychiatrist's, which I have the feeling he improvised on the spot, just loving the crescendo he was building. The whole movie is a no-budget piece of bravura and a great debut for the director; I'm looking forward to his next movie.