This is the latest installment in the Ricardo Trogi autobiographical trilogy, and it is the best one. Since 1981, Ricardo Trogi has been able to take real event from his life, and dramatize them in a very fun and lighthearted manner.
Like the two previous film, 1991 follows Trogi, but now he embarks on a quest to conquer the "love of his life" in Italy. The change of setting is a great idea, because not only does it gives the film a beautiful backdrop, but it feels fresh and new within this series.
The film is very fun, fast paced, and feel good. In a way it is nothing more than what we've come to expect, but every technical aspect of the film is strong enough that it remains engaging and entertaining.
The acting from Jean-Carl Boucher is great. He plays very well the fun and "likable loser" type of character, but he also did a good job with the more dramatic stuff. The actress playing is mother is very funny, even though she is so over the top, it's a little too much at times.
Writing wise this is an easy film, in the sense that it is filled with narration, jokes that we see coming and cliché storylines. The thing is that Trogi writes with such vulnerability and creates such likable characters that it doesn't really matter.
He basically creates a exaggerated version of himself, and he went to place I didn't expect with the character. We get to see his weaker side. How stupid or pathetic he can be sometimes, which is nice, because it gives the film a feeling of raw authenticity.
Also the movie knows what it is, and it never tries to pretend to be more important, nor does it ever manipulate the audience in a cheap way. So all of the weaknesses in the writing are easily forgiven.
What makes this film so enjoyable is the clear love for cinema from Trogi. There are multiple references to Fellini and other great director. His passion truly shines on screen.
Overall, this is a fun, easy to watch movie. It manages to be accessible and appropriate for the whole family, without restraining anything or trying to censor itself constantly. This is a trilogy I will revisit again.
Rating: 7/10
