A Mais Bela Noite da Minha Vida

While 'La più bella serata della mia vita' (1972) might be one of the iconic producer's earlier, seemingly lesser-known productions, it is no less noteworthy than his later, higher profile features. Handsomely set against the lofty Alpine majesty of mountainous Switzerland and primarily concerns the 'meet-cute' and subsequent giddy transport of Alfredo Rossis's (Alberto Sordi) day from the banal to the exceptionally eventful! The surrealistic adventures of petite bourgeois, nouveau riche, not altogether honest businessman Dr. Rossi is a riot, played zestfully with tremendously charismatic gusto by the twinkle-eyed Sordi.

Once Rossi completes some shady financial deal, things take an unfamiliar bent. Not best pleased by the bank being closed, his irritation temporarily leavened by discovering that the glistering Suzuki blocking his lobster red Maserati is owned by a mysteriously tantalizing, sleekly leather-clad, Janet Agren who then alacritously leads them on a thrilling, hair-raisingly swift chase deep into the mountains! Rossi finally arrives by means equine to the fairy tale castle of the urbane and initially hospitable, Avvocato Conte la Bruntiere (Pierre Brasseur) whereupon Scola's absorbing 'La più bella serata della mia vita' (1972) playfully proves itself to be anything but predictable fare!

The imposing, labyrinthine castle provides an exceptionally colourful stage Ettore's quixotic, sharp-edged surrealistic tale. The scheming, erstwhile Lothario in the hazing midst of a series of frequently bizarre narrative twists and turns, no less precarious than the circuitous road that his darkly beguiling phantom Biker traversed so speedily! While ostensibly a chamber comedy about the increasingly discombobulated Dr. Rossi's puzzling castle sojourn and its off-beat, vividly rendered inhabitants, his darkly jocular ordeal at the liver-spotted hands of these octogenarian misfits is a frequently cruel one. This punishing, unerringly accurate dissection of the manipulative, street smart businessman's character allows for the pathos often lacking in less sophisticated black comedies.

Adapted from the play 'La Panne', the witty, delightfully effervescent text is by Ettore Scola, and Sergio Amidei, the film is brought to barnstorming life by a bravura ensemble cast of truly gifted actors. Proving especially delightful is, Pierre Brasseur, Charles Vanel, and a positively incandescent, Laughton-esque turn from, Michel Simon as Avvocato Zorn. While undeniably stagy, the Promethean display of outstanding performances . Any viewer with the goodly fortune to see Scola's exquisitely mounted farce will be immediately struck by the fascinating, spectral beauty of Euro-cult star, Janet Agren. I was wholly entranced by her Suzuki riding, delightfully demonic, draped in black alter ego! Maestro, Armando Trovaioli's endearingly odd, synth-heavy score gives a vibrantly off-kilter edge to a far from ordinary comedy.

That many Ettore Scola's fans do not even know the existence of this gem is beyond me."Piu Bella Serata Della Mia Vida" has everything a movie buff demands: -A first-class screenplay,where ,at every minute,you can expect the unexpected.

-An incredibly extraordinary cast:think of it!Alberto Sordi,one of the luminaries of the brilliant Italian cinema,pit against the creme de la creme of French veterans :Pierre Brasseur,Charles Vanel and ,last but not least ,Michel Simon!A dream of a cast and Scola directs them in a masterful way.

"Piu Bella Serata" borrows elements from Agatha Christie's "And then there were none " -aka "ten little Indians" ,Claude Autant-Lara's "L'Auberge Rouge" -the endings are similar-, Julien Duvivier's "Marie -Octobre" or Robert Hossein's unfairly overlooked "Jeu de la Vérité".But all those elements,Scola makes them his very own ,and his movie has no cause to be jealous of those previous works."Piu Bella Serata" is arguably one of the finest Italian movies of the seventies.

Like Luigi Comencini's overlooked classic "Lo Scopone Scientifico " -where Alberto Sordi played opposite Bette Davis and Joseph Cotten-,this film is a fable.And you have got to pay attention to comprehend all the serious heavy things the director tells us.

These three retired magistrates want to carry on with their work:judging people is their idée fixe ,they are akin to Racine's central character in "Les Plaideurs"."We have already judged Joan of Ark,Dreyfuss and others " says Simon,but we do prefer judging people in the flesh!" The movie also deals with the skeletons in the closet:Sordi's character is not the goofy naive bon vivant he seems to be.Little by little,we discover he might be a monster (He would be one in Mario Monicelli's "I Nuovi Monstri" a brilliant film made of sketches,1978) The judges' desirable mansion in the Swiss mountains with its baroque decorations ,its hunting trophies (what a symbol) ,Janet Agren's luminous beauty (the perfect bait),add to an entrancing atmosphere.The movie runs the whole gamut: it' sometimes a hilarious comedy,sometimes a fantasy and horror gem (with accents of "the most dangerous game" ),sometimes a detective story,sometimes a melodrama (Sordi's childhood).The only flaw is perhaps the last scene:it should have been briefer.This is minor quibble.

Expect the unexpected!Enjoy!

a evening. a game. the verdict. adaptation of Friedrich Durrenmatt text, it is a fascinating gem. for impressive performance , for the mixture of genres, for the making of scenes, for the chain of surprises, for debates and the art of Ettore Scolla to use original source. a parable and a special gem because , more than a movie, it is exploration of deep shadows of viewer past. remarkable is the science to not reduct the charm of film at admirable cast. to use the castle details as lead character and construct the unexpected events in a impeccable manner. a film who must see it . the cast is only the bait. the film is the real splendid labyrinth who makes many questions more than joy of a good show. because it is a precise embroidery of old pieces and a beautiful game of appearances.

This movie is based on a play by Durrenmatt: the story is entertaining, yet it makes you think about what is true and fake, chance and destiny, who you really are and what your life goals are. The movie is a comedy, the movie is a drama, it makes you laugh and think, with several ironic twists. The list of actors is impressive (very well known French actors + the great Sordi) and the acting is really up to expectations. The direction is remarkable too: one of the best movies I have seen!

Unfortunately, I have seen the movie only once on TV in France. Does anybody know how I can get a copy? Thank you.

a short story by Durrenmatt. great actors. the well known Alberto Sordi. and a fascinating web of appearances, pleasure and guilt. a film like a large mirror , mixture of shadows and lights and games and fine exploration of the essence of truth. the great virtue - science to be more than part of a single genre. than, the art of Ettore Scola to translate the universe of text in the inspired manner for not lose the details who define its fascinating nuances and the force of text. a film about illusion and right portrait of contemporary society. and a source of questions about the things who define the life. short, a must see. for the atmosphere, for the performances, for a form of refined form of seduction.