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MAURIZIO'S JOB IS TO MAKE SOUND tracks for animated movies and he's constantly chasing new interesting sounds. He's not chasing women as much, but he immediately falls in love when he meets Angela, a basically romantic but very businesslike lady. Her specialty is to satisfy bizarre male sexual fantasies, but deep down she's waiting for the right one. Maurizio discovers with horror that one of his hands has been transformed to a cartoon during one of their feasts of love. This is the beginning of a metamorphosis which, fundamentally, has to do with Maurizio's unconscious fear of physical contact with his beloved. He runs away, barricades himself in his home and refuses to see Angela, who initially is curious, then furious and finally gives up. When she realizes that her object of desire has turned into a cartoon character she is struck dumb with amazement. Has her dream about a very special love been bagged, or has she finally met a man who is truly different?
Comment:
WITH HIS LONG, DROOPING MUSTACHES he is an Italian Chaplin. The comedian Maurizio Nichetti has gained widespread popularity in only a couple of years. Not only does he make you laugh, he is also a fascinating film maker who experiments with form, quotes, turning the Italian film history upside down.
The Icicle Thief was one example of that. ''The first commercial to be interrupted by a movie'', Nichetti defined it. The film is of course a satire on commercial TV as it is produced in Italy under the direction of Silvio Berlusconi. Ladri di saponette, is on another level a travesty based on De Sica's neo-realist masterpiece, The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette).
The film is interrupted by commercials exactly every 12 minutes. These, too, made by the inventive Nichetti. But somewhere all goes wrong. The beautiful cosmetic-girl from the commercial ends up in the movie's old working class kitchen. Exquisite black and white photography is contrasted with softed soapy pictures in color. This is a typical example of how Nichetti successfully plays with the camera.
The Icicle Thicfbecame a great international success after having been awarded first prize at the Moscow film festival. This made it possible for the director to realize the more technically demanding Wishing to Fly. Like most comedians - Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen Nichetti does nearly everything himself. The jokes have to be specific, the wall has to break down at the right moment. He wrote the script for Wishing to Fly together with Guido Manuli and he directs and plays the main character himself. Wishing to Fly, if you like, is an independent and very Italian version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? _
PETER LOEWE

Medverkande
Maurizio Nichetti, Angela Finocchiaro, Mariella Valentini: Producent
Ernesto Disarro: Manus
Maurizio Nichetti: Foto
Mario Bahistioni: Talat språk
Italian