Johnny Stecchino

Still the most successful film financially in the history of the Italian cinema, Roberto Benigni's "Johnny Stecchino" displays the actor's out-of-this-world talents. The movie is a tale of a high-class mobster named Johnny Stecchino (Benigni) who has testified against many crime syndicates to avoid prison time and is now in hiding. Enter the dim-witted Dante (Benigni again) who is discovered by Stecchino's wife (real-life wife Nicoletta Braschi) and is then unwittingly made to look, dress and act just like her criminal husband so Dante will be killed instead. The plan will hopefully allow Stecchino to leave the country with no difficulty. The mistaken identity routine plays amazingly well as Benigni dominates the action as he always seems to do. The supporting cast is good enough to keep the project above water. Benigni continues to be a master performer and cinematic craftsman. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

7/10

I thoroughly recommend this film. Some jokes may go over the head of non-Italian speakers but it shouldn't really ruin your enjoyment of a classic Benigni film. My favourite scene was when "lo zio" (the uncle) was driving Dante back from Palermo train station and explaining the problems of Sicilian life to him - I nearly p*****d myself!

I first saw this movie several years ago as a "movie of the week"...what a joy! I had the film specially ordered and to date have watched it at LEAST a dozen times...I cannot get enough of this charming film! Roberto Benigni and his wife, Nicoletta Braschi are the perfect team. And the co-stars are just as fabulous...this is definitely a team effort! Most highly recommended!

The genius with which Benigni weaves plots is most clearly displayed in this film. Nothing in the film is left to chance. Every scene, every action is (eventually) connected to others in a hilarious web. I've seen this movie 6 or 7 times. My wife wants to rent it again! and I will watch it for the 7th or 8th, having fun and marveling at the intricacies of the plot.

An early episode is a silly parlor game called "the cabinet member's wife." What is that about? What's funny about that. It isn't, but the game returns about three-quarters of the way through with surprising twists.

People who don't watch foreign films because they don't like reading subtitles are missing a world of great films, and this is one of the best.

Roberto Benigni, who went to achieve international stardom with "Life Is Beautiful," plays two roles in this comedy. The story is about an innocent man who is dead ringer for a gangster-informant-in hiding. Benigni plays both roles.

It's a decent movie, a low-key comedy that has some funny moments but would have been much better had it been chopped down about 15 minutes. It tends to drag a bit during the second half. Benigni, as the "wimp," is a very charming guy and one that's easy to root for, but the rest of the characters in the film are just so-so. It's odd to ever see the usually high-strung Benigni as a lower-key person.

Surprisingly, this is an "R" rated comedy, and that's because of the language. I rented this once, but would see it again, especially since it''s now available on DVD.