A Movie I Could See Every Week and Not Be Bored With It
Author: palmiro from Chicago United States
4 March 2006
When Bruno hits the road in his Fiat Spider (or was it an Alfa Romeo?) with the nerdish Roberto, it's a whirlwind ride for the audience as well, with your emotions riding high throughout. Gassman's "Bruno" is as perfect a portrait as one can imagine of the Italian who just floats through life, never taking things or others very seriously, always finding shortcuts and discovering truths that others disparage or fear. He's the classic embodiment of the Italian "furbo" (wise guy), who thinks he knows how to "play" the world and all the people in it. One of the greatest cinematic explorations of the stuff of contemporary life you'll ever see and the possibilities (all too limited) of overcoming the alienation inherent in it.
13 out of 14 people found the following review useful:*
A movie milestone!!!
Author: Massimo Zeri from Los Angeles, California
19 October 2002
Probably the best "costume satire" film ever made. Vittorio Gassman is perfect in the role of Bruno. Great cast especially the supporting role of J. L. Trintignant. Adorable and very sexy the beautiful teenager daughter of Bruno played by Catherine Spaak. Il Sorpasso depicted in great reality the sweet bitter life of the 60's in Italy. The perfect road movie, filled with deep characters and great locations between Rome (deserted during the peak summertime vacation of "ferragosto" and the overcrowded countryside of the coast between the Capital and the Tuscan Riviera). This film is filled with humor and sadness (If you don't understand Italian, you'll miss something but the movie language is international, and the subtitles will help you). DO NOT MISS IT! Bravo Dino Risi!
10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:*
Masterpiece
Author: donlazaro from Inglewood, CA
8 October 2006
This is simply one of the greatest films of all time. Yes, up there with "Modern Times" and "Los Olvidados," but for entirely different reasons. It is a convincing celebration of life that I have never experienced in any other movie. Gassman will move you to tears and laughter in a beautiful performance. The plot? An attempt to introduce a nerd to the world of chromatic living and accelerated emotion. Do the consequences matter? Yes? No? You'll love it anyway. If you can't get an English version, it doesn't matter. Listen to the original Italian and marvel at the significance of the depth and the architecture that penetrates the screen.
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:*
Italians Made Great Films in the 60's
Author: ragosaal from Argentina
30 September 2006
In the hot Roman summer law student Roberto casually runs into Bruno a strange but amusing man who is heading in his fancy sports car to a nearby beach to meet with friends. Bruno insists and Roberto decides to join him for the day. "Il Sorpasso" is about the relationship -of just that day- between two such a characters. Bruno thinks of nothing but enjoying life and is self confident, sort of a person that refuses to admit the pass of time (he's already in his forties and hasn't settled at all yet); Roberto, much younger, is a classic guy, sort of shy and obedient of his family's wishes about his future. At first Roberto doesn't approve of Bruno's idea of fun by insulting and humiliating people, but as they go together he turns into a sort of rebellion against his all planned and predictable life and shows a bit of admiration for the older man who doesn't go along with social premises.
Shot in beautiful Italy in the sort of "pop" early sixties, "Il Sorpasso" is a wonderful film which deals with true life and true characters. Dino Risi carries the film perfectly and shows us a great variation of common real life characters that one way or another get involved with Bruno and Roberto. The movie appears clearly as a comedy -and a real amusing one too- but at the very end it turns into drama and makes you think a lot. Classical 60's Italian music fits perfect.
Gassman is outstanding as the intelligent and sort of mean Bruno (I can't think of any other actor that could have played the role so perfectly) and Trintignant does a very good job too as the insecure and strcture minded Roberto.A great movie worth seeing. You'll sure enjoy it.
