Um Convite Italiano

This is one lame comedy, that above all things is also extremely poorly made. Saving grace of the movie was Mel Brooks, that still kept the movie somewhat watchable and provided the movie with basically its only fun moments.

The jokes, the pacing, the story, the acting, the directing, the editing, the camera-work, the music, it's all absolutely horrendous. Still I'm glad that I did not quit watching after 10 minutes, though the majority of people will still most likely do. It's that lame. But let me tell you that from the moment Mel Brooks shows up the movie suddenly turns into a far better one. It amazed me that Mel Brooks at that age could still be that funny and was capable of carrying and lifting a comedy to greater heights. He was of course given the same material as every other actor in this movie to work with but yet he is the only one that managed to make it funny. Guess if you would read the script you could say that this is a typical Mel Brooks movie, like the ones he used to direct early on in his career but this movie shows that not just everybody is capable of handling this material and turn it into a funny, lame, simplistic comedy, that Mel Brooks always was a master at.

The movie is directed by Ezio Greggio, who also plays the main lead. Guess you could say that he's being somewhat of an Italian version of Mel Brooks, with the exception that he hasn't made any great classic comedies and just isn't that great and likable as a comedy actor. He's a close friend to Mel Brooks, which explains why all of his movies are like the movies Mel Brooks used to make. They had worked together before on the Mel Brooks directed movie "Dracula: Dead and Loving It", in which he appeared in as an actor, for a small bit part.

This movie still gives you the feeling that it could had worked out. I mean, the concept really isn't that bad for a type of comedy like this one and they could had done far more and better things with it. If only Mel Brooks would had directed this, about 30 years ago, imaging how great this movie probably would had been.

The movie now instead is just lame, lame and lame. Totally not funny. The jokes often don't work out due to its bad pacing, set-up and just overall execution. The editing truly helps to make it all, all the more horrible. its story is extremely poor and filled with holes and things that simply don't make any sense. The movie makes some horrible choices with the way it's heading to with its story. If it wasn't for Mel Brooks, this movie would had been totally unwatchable.

4/10

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Written and starring Ezio Greggio, Mel Brooks as his sidekick in off-target comedy. If you've seen "Silence of the Hams", this Greggio movie is only a step higher on the laugh meter. Like the aforementioned picture, most of Greggio's jokes are recycled (some even from the Brooks arsenal) and the gags therefore get to be very predictable. The highlight of this film is Brooks himself, and (although his trademark, hilarious brand of humor is missing from this picture) it is an interesting vehicle in that he fills shoes under someone else's pen. It's refreshing to see Brooks in a newer picture, being that his most recent film was 1995's "Dracula: Dead & Loving It". But if you are looking for another hilarious Brooks satire, this is not the film to see. However, it is worth a look, and possibly a near-laugh or two.

In this screw loose screwball comedy, Mel Brooks is on a roll. Bernardo (Ezio Greggio) "opens" for Mel Brooks with his memorable parking lot shtick, then...

Elderly Guido Puccini has a large "natural" foods factory in Italy. When he suffers a severe heart attack he summons his inept and browbeaten son, Bernardo, to his bedside. He tells Bernardo that in WWII, a statue fell on him, pinning him to the ground in battle. An American soldier, Jake Gorden, removed the statue and helped Puccini get away and survive. Now Puccini wants Bernardo to go to America, get Jake, and bring him back to Italy so Puccini can see him once more before he dies. He intends to give Jake half the company out of gratitude for Jake's having saved his life.

Dutifully, Bernardo sets off to America. He finds Jake in a mental institution.

That's only the start of the insanity as Bernardo tries to get Jake to Puccini's bedside before the old man dies.

Okay, a number of the jokes and gags are pretty shopworn. We even swipe Herbert Lom's famous facial and eye tics. But what the heck! It's such a pleasure to watch Mel Brooks in action, and his buddy Ezio Greggio keeps up in excellent fashion. Between them, they came up with a sort of buddy film that will keep you rolling in laughter at the zaniness.

Ya gotta love that Mel Brooks. The man behind Nude Bomb, Dracula Dead And Loving It, Space Balls, Robin Hood Men in Tights, and many others. The master of parody is funny in this one, as he stars as a WWII veteran now a complete nut in the funny farm. And now the son of his friend takes him all the way back to Italy, only to have him cause a lot of mayhem, and the results are complete chaos! At the same time, a doctor is trying to bring him back to the nut house for he is dangerous. And by golly she is right! There are many funny scenes, and lines that left me laughing for hours, I like the part where the guy gets arrested and shares a cell with a man who likes to strip himself naked. Or the part with the cathedral, and another one I find funny is when they visit his friend finally, check it out yourself. Anyways, this is recommended to all fans of Mel Brooks and his works. Watch it. You'll love it.

I disagree with Mr. Tiozzo. I am 20 year old male and I loved it. This is the first Greggio film I've seen, but it surely isn't the last. He reminds me a lot of Peter Sellers with his great facial gestures, physical jokes, and one liners. Brooks was his zany self, and even broke into song a couple of times in the picture. Miss Julie Condra is, of course, as beautiful and sparkling as always. We even get a couple of cameo appearances(attached to one liners, of course) All around I thought this is a great film. It was what I expected, and more. If you are looking for a heavy plot, go to the Drama section. If you are looking for a side splitting comedy, look no further.