Cosa Raccomanda Lei?

This film is a little gem. It features some of the most stylish production design I've seen in an animated short. It's difficult to tell whether the characters and sets are models or CG - which means the animation has either been computer generated and made to look like stop frame or is very slick modelling and puppet animation.

And a witty, well told story too. Our hero - a loner middle aged English guy - is excited about his trip to Rome. When he loses his Italian phrase book five minutes into his holiday, he tries to wing it with his one phrase of Italian: Cosa Raccomanda Lei? which means What would you recommend? Things soon begin to unravel.

The music score feels period and is subtly used; the photographic backdrops blend well with the animated elements; the performances, particularly of the legendary Victor Spinetti (Hard Day's Night) and Nanette Newman are well cast and strongly performed.

Well produced, well written, well designed, well directed.