Hot Potato (Italian: La patata bollente) is a 1979 Commedia all'italiana film directed by Steno. The film discusses a range of issues such as homophobia in the political left, Anni di piombo violence, working class culture, and the sustainability of Eurocommunism.[1]
| Hot Potato | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Steno |
| Written by | Steno Giorgio Arlorio Enrico Vanzina |
| Produced by | Achille Manzotti |
| Starring | Renato Pozzetto |
| Cinematography | Giorgio Arlorio |
| Edited by | Raimondo Crociani |
| Music by | Totò Savio |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Plot
editBernardo Mambelli nicknamed "il Gandi" (Renato Pozzetto) is a PCI militant and pugilist working at a Milanese paint factory. One night, he sees a fascist gang beating a frail young man (Massimo Ranieri). He saves the man and brings him to his house to learn that he is Claudio, a homosexual. With nowhere to go and recovering from the assault, Claudio starts staying at Bernardo's house but a series of typical misunderstandings lead his comrades as well as his girlfriend Maria (Edwige Fenech) to believing that he has "turned gay". Bernardo is now seen as a potential lost cause and the ongoings soon reveal a "hot potato" situation for him.
Cast
edit- Renato Pozzetto as Bernardo Mambelli nicknamed "il Gandi"
- Massimo Ranieri as Claudio
- Edwige Fenech as Maria
- Mario Scarpetta as Walter
- Clara Colosimo as Elvira, the doorwoman
- Luca Sportelli as Elvira's husband
- Sergio Ciulli as Maravigli
- Adriana Russo as Maria's best friend
- Umberto Raho as the doctor
- Ennio Antonelli as laborer
Production
editThe film was initially conceived as a segment of a two-part film titled "Fa male michiare" (lit. 'Mixing Hurts ') directed by Nanni Loy; the two segments were eventually developed into full-length films, the other of them becoming Loy's Café Express.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Milano-Firenze, Mo-Net s.r.l. "La patata bollente (1979)". MYmovies.it. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ Giusti, Marco (2019). "La patata bollente". Dizionario Stracult della commedia sexy. Bloodbuster edizioni. pp. 326–7. ISBN 978-88-943385-3-9.
External links
edit
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