Je suis photogénique

Renato Pozzetto plays the part of a boy who wants to make his fortune in the world of cinema but will be destroyed both in body and in spirit. Eventually he will be forced to care for the children of a woman who rejected him. He will give up dreams of fame and glory for a more stable and peaceful life. The play ends with a bittersweet taste that left me surprised.

Antonio Barozzi (Renato Pozzetto) moves from Lago Maggiore to Rome to become an actor. He does not realize his agent (Aldo Maccione) and acting coach (Julien Guiomar) are only manipulating him to further their own careers. A great deal of European stars have small parts or cameo's, some parodying themselves. Edwige Fenech is the most prominent of these, playing a starlet willing to sleep with anyone to get where and what she wants.

While stuck in an elevator for what seems like forever, a famous movie producer (Michel Galabru) offers Antonio a part in a Hollywood production. It is ironic that the footage shot in L.A. looks like it was all filmed on one day of driving around town. Hollywood turns out to be the final crippling blow for Antonio when he is forced to become a stuntman.

This cynical look at the movie business is just a collection of unrelated comic scenes. In the end, both Antonio and the film have still achieved nothing. His moronic character does not exactly conjure up a lot of sympathy either. At least Edwige Fenech is always worth a look, earning the film another point (though she only appears sporadically).

5 out of 10