Policarpo, ufficiale di scrittura (1959)

For many a year, calligrapher 'Policarpo' (Renato Rascel) has been seeking a very modest (9 lire per month) pay rise from his grandiose boss 'Don César' (Peppino De Filippo) who may be a count, or a lord, or a baron with connections to one of Italy's more presitgeous cheese-making areas. On the other hand, he may not! Anyway, when his daughter 'Celeste' (Carla Gravina) attracts the ardours of the boss's son 'Gege' (Luigi De Filippo - the real life son of Peppino) her father sees an opportunity to see she reciprocates and ensure he gets something more than a pay rise out of this situation. Meantime, industrial progress is hitting Italy big style, and no more evidently than in the expansion of the use of the typewriter. Not only might this innovation put his job at risk for 'Policarpo' but it also throws an other spanner in the works. 'Celeste' takes a liking to one of the newly designated 'specialists' employed to maintain and teach people how to use these devices - 'Mario' (Renato Salvatori). Now whilst her father is trying to arrange a suitably lucrative and socially acceptable marriage for his daughter, she is developing a bit of an independent streak. She is just as prepared to do an hard day's work as anyone else, to learn and to get stuck in - but she will not accept a lower wage just because she is a woman. Of course the menfolk think she should stay in her lane, and so - it has to be said - do most of the women, but as the plot thickens and the grand Ministerial unveiling of the ink-stain saving gadget looms ever larger, just about every msunderstanding that could happen does; roles are challenged; stereotypes upended and there is even a vegetable fight at the factory. This isn't so much laugh out loud as a more gently simmering assault on the absurdities of a class system that not only underpinned sexist social attitudes but also clearly cut off the nose to spite the face of the industrial aspirations of the business and the country itself. Things come to an head after a live-action chess game played for the honour of family, and by the time we reach the conclusion there's not much jeopardy but I did wonder if either 'Celeste' or 'Mario' were actually much of a catch. There is some lovely imagery on show here, especially a little black box-bike - think vertical hearse, and with a Rascel, Peppino snr. (whom I kept thinking was César Romero) and Gravina all looking like they were invested in their persona and the accompanying baggage that went with them, this proved to be quite an amiable but pointed comedy that's worth a watch.