What at first seems to be a lighthearted film turns, like so much Italian cinema, into a deeper, more introspective journey. Roberto, a serious law student, is bombarded by Bruno, a 40-ish bon vivant. Fate (or luck) throws the two men together and into Bruno's little convertible Lancia for an 'avventura' leading from Rome to the Tuscan coast. Andiamo! But Bruno's sadness is hidden under the surface of his relentless smooth talking and double-dealing. He constantly beeps the car's horn, a lyrical bap-bap-bad-a-bap, which soon becomes a thread leading them to the end of the line. Once on the coast and crashed out at Bruno's estranged wife's house, Roberto gets a glimpse of a more decadent type of bourgeois good life: beautiful women, bikinis and boats. By the end of the day and despite his button down shirt and loafers, Roberto has succumbed to Bruno's infectious freedom of mind. At a price. This is a beautiful little film that feels ahead of its time, even timeless. Both Roberto and Bruno are sympathetic characters, forcing the viewer to seize life and look inside and behind it. Grazie, Signore Risi!
Review of The Easy Life
