Zoccola

I watched a great film yesterday – I Laureati – a Leonardo Pieraccioni movie about life in Florence for four men who still have not managed to graduate from university. You cannot but laugh at the antics of Rocco, Leonardo and co. as they philosophise on anything from humour to women to death and funerals. Set in Florence in the mid-nineties, the film features the beautiful Maria Grazia Cuccinotta and a careful watcher can even spot a small appearance by Manuela Arcuri.

There are parts that are a direct nod to the classic Italian trilogy Amici Miei, mainly the “bischerate”. Rocco’s encounter with an “open” couple (with a lovely Tosca d’Aquino) is particularly entertaining – especially once he refuses the advances of a “mixed” threesome. “Ma quanto sei ignorante” yells the woman… “Ma quanto sei zoccola” is the reply of Rocco (“Normale, sono un uomo normale”).

The film starts and ends with a very philosophical question being contemplated by the four Peter Pan protagonists: Who is supposed to pay for the meal when one is celebrating someone’s birthday? The options are three:

1) It’s my party so I pay: the person whose birthday it is forks out the money;

2) It’s on Us: the guests who are celebrating his birthday rightly split the cheque;

3) The Conditional: If the guests have brought presents along then the bill is split between everybody, birthday boy included; otherwise if no presents have been brought then option (2) applies.

If only these were the biggest problems in our life. Watch the film to find out what “bischerata” they come up with to solve the problem.