Il piccolo diavolo

You don't have to be an Italian to appreciate the humor, but it's certainly an advantage if you understand Italian... Needless to say, Benigni is funny enough even WITHOUT words; and contrasted with the dry, serious priest (Matthau is brilliant here) he appears more absurd than ever. Who but Benigni could play the part of the devil so convincingly, with such comic innocence and enthusiasm? Who but Walter Matthau could capture so perfectly the mood of the cynical, dry-humoured priest? In this light-hearted film, there is nothing predictable except, perhaps, for the odd friendship that springs up between the two men - and that, with this unbeatable team, you are in for some hilarious moments. A film worth seeing again and again !!!

I've seen ( rented ) this movie in VHS with English voice and Norwegian subtitles a few years back. Been searching for it now for a long time without any success. The film is one of the funniest I've ever seen. It seems to me that the distributor is missing a fine turnover by not releasing the film in DVD. Id be grateful for any tips where to get this movie in English, in Italian I will miss the finer meaning of the words unfortunately. Benigni is one of the most talented film-makers around, I enjoy his work both in front of and in the back of the camera. This is what I wanted to say, however the silly rule is that one have to write at least 10 lines so the last words are nothing but some fill-up to achieve the 10 lines

If you enjoyed other Benigni's works, this movie is your start point to Benigni's world. The story: A little Devil escapes from hell and, after an exorcism, becomes friend of a priest (Walter Matthau). He is only 400 years old and knows nothing about world, sex and so on. Thousands of gags and the little melancholy you can find in "life is beautiful" and "the monster".

It's crazy, it's hilarious, it's grotesque and it's at least pure fun. The combination of Matthau's stoical yet strained mimics with Benigni's clownesque and provocative acting is one of the most surprising comedies from Italy ever. But it's not just pure comedy, it's definitely a satiric assault on religion, social behaviour and some more holy cows. Even more, it's incredible, how Matthau and Benigni are acting - and interacting. I'll bet that you've never seen Matthau look closer to desperation since The Odd Couple. And Lemmon was a sheer blessing compared to what he is confronted with here. And I still wonder how they ever managed to produce this movie. Anyway, catch this devil if you can, you won't regret it!

I saw this movie years ago in Europe. It has not been distributed in the U.S., but it should be. It is very funny, with Roberto Benigni and Walter Mathau together, some scenes are hilarious. If you like Roberto Benigni then pray that this movie comes out on video in the U.S. soon!!!