An old American socialite (Bette Davis) travels the world his fancy, and in each country, she likes to face the people of slums in large parts of maps to prove that she is rich because she is smarter. Somehow, his fortune would be deserved. His favorite game is the scopa game memory and reflection.
But the deal is flawed precisely because it is very rich. As this is a money game and each time it doubles the bet, it is certain ultimately to be able to continue indefinitely, and therefore win overwhelmingly.
Peppino (Alberto Sordi) and Antonietta (Silvana Mangano) are his opponents, but also servants, friends, in an endless party where all episodes of Rome is a slum contributes to challenge the old.
is what is undoubtedly one of comedy's most ferocious and successful of the great Luigi Comencini. The film anticipates a strong future great masterpieces of Italian comedy namely Ugly, Dirty and Bad Ettore Scola through its double-edged vision on the status of the poor and the behaviors it causes. The difference is in the tone since in the waste of humanity portrayed by Scola Scola Comencini opposes him an amused look real and endearing on its pair of heroes, their families and communities in the slum.
The first part of the film thus describes the material difficulties of any kind faced by the heroes and could be resolved by a victory in the cards face old. Misery room is shown without complacency, but in a very real with a good touch of humor to lighten the whole, as opposed to opulent luxury in which the owner lives ubcarbée by Betty Davis. Alberto Sordi in and blundering simpleton husband is excellent as usual and form a perfect duo with Silvana Mangano in more ambivalent role. According to several parties where the couple is ridiculed, big turning point in the middle of the movie where they are in position to snatch a fortune in the old. 
is where even more specifically one of the great themes of the film, class relations (in fact the choice foreign players with Betty Davis and Joseph Cotten playing the rich is not innocent). The couple intoxicated by the fortune finally smiled the game continues as the honest intentions of the old woman smiling and affable lady shows her true face of cruel shrew unable to accept defeat and using all its power to avoid it . Bette Davis excels (admittedly quite young but more pushing his legendary art of transmutation by far the ugly makeup and matured even more giving tunes harpy) in old skin manipulative and falsely friendly play for much of the extreme tension released by the party whose scopa rules to speak more spectator Italian but whose blood is largely communicative. 
Comencini shows how wealth can go to your head people of modest means through the character of Silviana Mangano, intoxicated by the issue and unable to stop even when the old is dying, the ratio dominant / dominated speaking in their inability to stop some of their own making. This relationship between the old and the couple very well of heroes is ambiguous and far from black and white, each showing a shocking behavior at a given moment and revealing the shortcomings of each class by greed, pride and a sense of human good contrast between them all eventually. 
Comencini issue is a much finer work than the premise suggested. Although his love of the characters do not dare make him a darker conclusion (although funny it is not very positive either) succeeds where one of his most original and brilliant, jewel of the all'italiana Comedia. Released on DVD in region 2 French Studio Canal
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