Love and Larceny

Dino Risi's 1960 film 'Il mattatore' (or 'Love and Larceny' in the English distribution) belongs to a period in which comedies that were popular with the public and quality films were not disjoint categories. At a time when French cinema was embarking on the Nouvelle Vague and in Italy Michelangelo Antonioni was experimenting with translating existentialist solitudes onto the screen, popular cinema filled the halls with great historical productions and comedies. Along with Toto and Alberto Sordi, Vittorio Gassman was among the most successful actors of the genre. 'Il mattatore' is inspired by a television show in which the popular actor (who nevertheless came from the classical drama theater!) had fun and entertained the audience with impersonations that sometimes made him unrecognizable. This is what he does in the film, but using the pretext of the biography of a con man who uses his acting talent for all kinds of deceptions, some spectacular. It was the first of about 15 films that Dino Risi would direct with Gassman in the cast. The film was a success in its time and its title became the popular actor's nickname.

The narrative thread is rather thin, providing the pretext for a series of episodes written by several of the genre's talented Italian screenwriters, including Ettore Scola. Gerardo is a former actor and former con man whom his wife Annalisa seems to have brought back to the honesty path. When a swindler knocks on his door trying to rob him, Gerardo immediately recognizes the ruse and after recovering his loss, he tells him about his past marked by increasingly daring acts. In all of those he used his talent as an actor and impersonator to play various 'roles' from the son of a rich man from Bologna or a Polish immigrant to a telephone technician or an aviation general. It is, of course, the opportunity for Gassman to let loose by transforming the film into his personal show.

Not all the episodes have stood the test of time and the comic impact is certainly different nowadays from that of 1960. Scenes that probably then raised laughter in the halls, now perhaps only elicit a smile. Gone is the actuality element of social satire, replaced by interest in situations that have become historical and especially by the retro charm of an actor of the power and versatility of Vittorio Gassman. My favorite scene is the one in which Gerardo, having arrived in prison, entertains his fellow inmates with a personal stand-up version of Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'. Meeting Gassman (again?) makes it worth the time spent watching or rewatching this film.

According to the Italian Wikipedia, this movie was adapted from an eponymous Italian TV show. It consists of loosely-assembled sketches where Gassman is given a free hand to go through various characters and disguises.

The whole thing is watchable, of course, but suffers from the lack of dramatic tension since there's barely a storyline. Besides, most sketches were possibly funny 60 years ago, now they bring a smile at best - you see the gags coming from a distance. Gassman is of course a terrific presence, but in some episodes he's completely over-the-top.

Strangely enough, the most endearing moments of the movie, as far as I'm concerned, were some "transition" sequences which show peeks of everyday's life in the Italy of 1960 - scenes with Dorian Gray, the restaurant sequences, shots of the poor Roma suburbs... All in all a minor movie.

Vitorrio Gassman is brilliant as a con artist in this movie. As best as I can remember it (last time I saw it was in the early 70's in 16mm) there are about 6-8 separate scenarios in which he pulls various cons, all of which are hilarious. I've been searching for it in some form -- I'd even buy it in 16mm.

Unlike "The Easy Life" ("Il Sorpasso"), in which he plays a similar character and the movie is somewhat bittersweet, in "Love and Larceny" the mood is always outrageous as the scams become more and more daring. The plot itself is a flashback, gradually working its way up to the surprise ending in the present.

Dino Risi is one of the greatest Italian film directors ever. Very prolific and very talented. He made a lot of great movies and excelled in comedy. I will name just a few of the best: "The Monsters" (1963)I mostri(original title) (one of the best Italian films of all time, also with Vittorio Gassman), "The Treasure of San Gennaro" (1966 )Operazione San Gennaro(original title), "The Tiger and the Pussycat" (1967)Il tigre (original title), "Torture Me But Kill Me with Kisses" (1968) Straziami ma di baci saziami(original title), "Dirty Weekend"(1973) Mordi e fuggi (original title), "Scent of a Woman"(1974)Profumo di donna (original title) (again with Vittorio Gassman) (in the American remake, Al Pacino would win an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role). Vittorio Gassman, along with Alberto Sordi, Ugo Tognazzi and Nino Manfredi, is one of the 4 Great Italian Comedian Actors, and 4 of the greatest actors in the world of all time. Great acting performance for Vittorio Gassman here in this "Love and Larceny", an opportunity for him to show his unique talent. Dorian Gray, Anna Maria Ferrero and Mario Carotenuto are also very good in their roles. However, in today's world, it's a film only for those who appreciate Italian cinema (the best of all) and, especially, for those who know and appreciate Vittorio Gassman.

I recently have been watched a lot of Italian comedies, more I watch more I like, quite simple, they are witty, the partnership Gassman and Dino Risi were of an unparalleled quality, assigned by their writers as Sergio Pugliese, Ettore Scola among others who supplied fuels it needs to boost their natural gifts, Il Mattatore Gassman plays Gerardo Latini an already retiree slicker after his forced marriage with the eye candy Elena (Dorian Gray) when a crook tries fool him, he debonairly tells him his adventures when used to cheating, deceiving in smallest details, also his mentor and complicit, for Latin moral standards is very plausible and usual, a slight crude an amoral characters, but who cares anyway, indeed the picture has a priceless acting by the unmatched Vitorio Gassman, actually we cross our fingers for the crooks, seems crazy at first look but wasn't, it's an unharmful farce, very widespread in those time, laugh one's head off with a striking closing!!

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First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8