Il Sorpasso (The Easy Life). Dino Risi, 1962.
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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #707, released 2014. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 105 minutes.
Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
A superb, enjoyable film that defines the commedie all’Italiana tradition and deserves the decades of praise it has received. The numerous supplements include Fabrizio Corallo’s A Beautiful Vacation (2006, 56 minutes), a typical director documentary. But the short expository pieces by Risi himself, by co-writers, and by director Alexander Payne, surpass what Criterion typically provide and constitute a very good introduction to an entire school of filmmaking and the Italian sociology (Il Boom) behind it. Il Sorpasso was a blast to watch and the authoritative commentary made me really appreciate that blast.