Volere Volare: A Comédia

Do I have to compare? With Roger Rabbitt or Mask? Please, don't! Because this great Italian film have more than Hollywood movies mixing humans with cartoons: it had cinematographic qualities, a simple but strong story, and originality. American models had only special effets. Nichetti puts his European sensibility and savoir-faire in a delightfull comedy, full of pretty funny gags (as an other viewers says, don't miss the dubbing of the blue movie!) See it again and again! It's better every time!One of the true original comedies of the 1990's.

The fact that Maurizio Nichetti longed to become a real cartoon was almost predictable: it was just the displaying of his intimate nature, with his resemblance to weird and funny stached little men of old movies, just like Grucho Marx (who ended up as a comic caracther in Dylan Dog's series), with impressive mimic abilities and a never ending sense of innocence and stupidity, in which the latter must not be seen negatively, but as the attitude of never gaining synchronism with the world. That's maybe the reason why he finally conquers a bi-dimensional life, just because a cartoon is a being of pure light. It is a sort of transfiguration, the achievement of a nearly godly state, that makes the meaning of this film much more complicated than one may think.

Well, if you like to laugh and can abandon your expectations -- this film is rather enchanting. An unconventional and creative love-story which accomplishes what it sets out to do -- move beyond expectations. Good pace, good storyline, great humor, but best of all . . . . . . . not Hollywood -- no trite or overused vehicles for the story. Give it a try -- well worth the subtitles.

Martina has an unusual job satisfying her eccentric clients' sexual fantasies. Maurizio 'Sbaffino' (Maurizio Nichetti) spends his time collecting sounds from the world. He dubs cartoons while his brother does less innocent films with a bevy of beauties. He happens upon Martina during one of her jobs. As they connect, he's horrified to find himself turning into a cartoon as the cartoon world collides with the real world.

Maurizio has such an unique clownish look and he is a charismatic performer. Angela Finocchiaro is a sassy broad and a great partner. It's ridiculous. It's silly. There are no hot babes dubbing in their lingerie in the real world. This is simply a fun screwball comedy with a fun pair.

Fond memories of 'The Icicle Thief' (1989) aren't enough to salvage this 1991 comedy by Maurizio Nichetti, which doesn't add up to anything more than a single, admittedly slim plot twist padded to feature length. Nichetti himself plays an unfortunate movie technician who spends most of the film collecting sound effects for cartoons; he eventually crosses paths with a jaded working woman who services the kinky (but innocent) fantasies of wealthy perverts, and then he turns into a cartoon. The gimmick is never explained, much less developed (it would be interesting to speculate what the final bedroom frolic must have looked like before Nichetti's animated alter ego was penciled into it), and the blend of live action and animation might have been more exciting if Roger Rabbit had never existed. Elsewhere Nichetti plagiarizes a few sight gags from Jacques Tati, and includes a lot of silly audio effects recalling the interminable swallowed whistle scene in Chaplin's 'City Lights'. His affection for classic silent comedy is admirable, but it just isn't possible anymore to recreate the same sort of charm and humor.