★ 8 / 10
The Tragedy of Being Unemployed... Fantozzi Style
carmelolia
By the time 'Fantozzi va in Pensione', to use its original Italian title, was released as the sixth entry in the popular Fantozzi franchise, the character has…
By the time 'Fantozzi va in Pensione', to use its original Italian title, was released as the sixth entry in the popular Fantozzi franchise, the character has already gone through almost everything imaginable. Directed once again by Neri Parenti, this film finds poor Ugo Fantozzi facing a new existential horror: retirement. The premise is rich with potential, to be fair: what happens when a man whose entire identity is wrapped up in bureaucratic misery is suddenly cut loose from it? As ever, some of the gags are great, propelled by Villaggio's physicality and that uniquely Italian blend of farce and social satire. Yet there's a faint sense that we're witnessing a formula pushed close to retirement, if you can excuse the pun.There are still moments of inspired absurdity, and the familiar supporting characters, like the Signorina Silvani, provide welcome continuity. But compared with the savage brilliance of the earlier entries, the chaos here feels slightly more mechanical and the indignities more routine. In other words, the comedic rhythm of the franchise lacks some of its former bite. It's the law of diminishing returns in long-running franchises: even a good chapter struggles to recapture the lightning of the first strikes. Still, the satire of a system that discards its workers once they've outlived their "usefulness" is an important subject nowadays, as I remember that my grandfather (RIP Nannu Cal) always said he despised being idle at home and would invent tasks simply to avoid that hollow feeling.What gives the film unexpected weight, therefore, is its portrait of idleness as a kind of quiet tragedy. Because it is and politicians have not done enough to address it. Beneath the pratfalls lies a recognisable melancholy: the loss of routine, of purpose, of being needed. In that sense, the film touches something truthful. 'Fantozzi va in Pensione' may not rank among the best of the series, but it is still a thought-provoking comedy in its own right.
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