An evening at an Italian restaurant. Hosted by tolerant and relaxed Flora, various parties of middle-class people come in -- large and small, young and old, regulars and tourists, married and single -- to dine, converse, argue, celebrate, make confessions; to overhear other people's discussions, to interrupt them, to sing, listen to music, and enjoy life.
Acting
Gassman's aging maestro is devastating showmanship.
Production
The restaurant becomes a living stage — Scola's masterstroke.
Writing
Overlapping dialogue you must lean in to catch.
Director
Ettore Scola
Vittorio Gassman
Maestro Pezzullo
Fanny Ardant
Flora
Giancarlo Giannini
Professore
Stefania Sandrelli
Isabella
Eros Pagni
Duilio
Riccardo Garrone
Diomede
Daniela Poggi
la bella sconosciuta
Francesca D'Aloja
Alessandra
Giorgio Tirabassi
Francesco
Antonio Catania
Mago Adam
Adalberto Maria Merli
capo comico
Rolando Ravello
cliente seduto da solo
Nadia Carlomagno
Lola
Giorgio Colangeli
Vincenzo Petrosillo
Francesca Rettondini
Mirella
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Scola called this his 'requiem for the Italian middle class' — filmed as Berlusconi's media empire was reshaping exactly these social rituals.
The entire film was shot in a real working restaurant over four weeks; diners you see in background are actual customers who signed releases mid-meal.
IT
