Lascia perdere, Johnny!

A young man tries to avoid military service by stating that he's the only son of a widow mother. He also needs to prove that he's the only bread winner in the family. Does he have a job? Certainly, he plays guitar with a local band. Does he have a contract? Not quite. We're then propelled into the story of Johnny trying to get a signed contract before the due date expires and in so doing we're living his story like he lives it, as an spectator. He observes and learns and so do we. Fabrizio Bentivoglio, one of, if not the, best Italian actor of his generation, makes his feature film directorial debut with this charming, tender, melancholic tale. He also plays the the man - a formerly famous band leader in decline - who will change, presumably, Johnny's life forever. Bentivoglio is truly terrific, his beautiful face is a seriously comic mask of a life lived without a compass. Very encouraging to find an Italian film with a personality of its own. Among the many pleasures to be had, there is a concert under the rain and a wonderful and unrecognizable Lina Sastri as Johnny's mother. Uplifting, smart and very entertaining. I haven't been able to say that about an Italian film in a very long time. Bravo!

Faustino is the only son of a widow. That, in Italy, is one of the reasons why someone could be exempt from military service. Faustino finds himself at this crossroads when we meet him. He plays guitar with a band but needs to transform his amateurish musical endeavors into something profitable to be accepted as the only financial support to his mother. Augusto enters the scene, a musician carrying the baggage of a dusty reputation - his biggest claim to fame was a brief affair with Ornella Vanoni some years before - The important thing however is that Augusto - who will open an unexpected door to Faustino and rename him Johnny - is played by Fabrizio Bentivoglio who also directs and writes with a willful laid back style. The road chosen is uncertain and uneven to say the least but there is a genuine charm taking over the unfocused yarn that it's immediately contagious. He counts with the valuable collaboration of some very good actors playing charmingly over the top characters. Lina Sastri, adorable as Faustino's mother. Valeria Golino as the local hairdresser that becomes a groupie and Faustino's romantic fantasy plus Avion Travel's Toni and Peppe Servillo. I left the theater with a smile on my face. That for me makes the whole thing more than worth it.