Underplayed Gems

Johnny Stecchino (1991)

Johnny Stecchino poster
Directed by
Roberto Benigni
Genre
comedy film
Country
Italy
Runtime
2h 02m
Rated
15
Rating
7.3 of 10 from 1,073 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A school bus driver who looks exactly like a wanted mafia boss gets tangled up in a plot by the mobster's wife to have the lookalike killed instead of her husband. The film follows the chaotic mix-ups that result from this case of mistaken identity.

comediclightheartedslapstickfast-pacedzanywhimsicalwarm

What happens

Johnny Stecchino is a 1991 Italian comedy film directed by, co-written by and starring Roberto Benigni in dual roles. This film is one of Benigni's many collaborations with co-star and wife, Nicoletta Braschi. It was the highest-grossing film of all time in Italy with a gross of 39 billion liras. This film follows the life of Dante, a quirky school bus driver (Benigni) for students with Down syndrome, who bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Stecchino, an Italian mafioso who is wanted by Sicilian mobsters for treason and murder. Dante meets Maria (Braschi), Johnny Stecchino's wife, who plans to trick the Sicilian mobsters into killing Dante instead of Johnny. The U.S. version released in theaters and on VHS is about 20 minutes shorter than the full Italian version. It trims several conversations including the final scene with Lillo accidentally sniffing cocaine. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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