Directed by:
Lino Del FraCast:
Paolo Villaggio, Franco Fabrizi, Gaby André, Enzo Robutti, Umberto D'Orsi, Alessandro Tedeschi, Silvio Bagolini, Didi PeregoPlots(1)
As a giant flying cake appears in the evening sky of Borgata del Trullo north of Rome, the kids are delighted, shouting “che bella!” At the same time, the Italian military is preparing a massive maneuver to defend the nation. La torta in cielo grasps surrealism as a way of articulating political dissent. Cecilia Mangini wrote the screenplay for this hyperactive farce that examines how different social groups behave when a UFO lands on earth. The army is ready to fight and the kids are ready to enjoy when this unexpected arrival bursts into their daily routines. A group of scientists sends a robot on its way and a chocolate baroness tries to fend off potential competitors. While Rossellini (La macchina ammazzacattivi) and De Sica (Miracolo a Milano) also placed narratives in the realm of the supernatural, Mangini roots her story in the discourse of those days. She sets her sights on an oppressive state that imposes curfews and she mocks the military-industrial complex by making children the antagonists who seize the giant cake, enjoying a sweet taste of freedom. La Torta unfolds in an anarchic upbeat tone that pokes fun at the leading lights of the political establishment. The Democrazia Cristiana was not amused and started a press campaign against the film. (Viennale)
(more)Cast
Paolo Villaggio
Italy
Best movies:
Fantozzi Against the Wind (1980)
Secret of the Old Woods, The (1993)
Brancaleone at the Crusades (1970)
Franco Fabrizi
Italy
Best movies:
Witness in the City (1959)
Nights of Cabiria (1957)
Una questione d'onore (1966)
Gaby André
France
Best movies:
The Sleepwalker (1951)
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You (1970)
Enzo Robutti
Italy
Best movies:
The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Marco Polo (1982) (series)
Il papa buono (2003) (TV movie)
Umberto D'Orsi
Italy
Best movies:
An Ideal Place to Kill (1971)
Me, Me, Me... and the Others (1966)
Touch and Go (1971)
Alessandro Tedeschi
Best movies:
Il Generale Della Rovere (1959)
Rome 11:00 (1952)
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
Silvio Bagolini
Italy
Best movies:
Roman Holiday (1953)
Vacation with a Gangster (1954)
I Vitelloni (1953)
Didi Perego
Italy
Best movies:
Kapò (1959)
Everybody Go Home (1960)
Che gioia vivere (1961)