My Widow and I Reviews

Neo-realist director De Sica stars in this offbeat Italian comedy. He plays a man who pretends he is dead so that he and his wife, Miranda, can cash in on his huge insurance policy. He pretends to be his brother-in-law, but trouble arises when his former employer, Cervi, makes a play for the bereaved "widow." He also has to endure Cervi insulting his memory. The story takes a twist towards pathos when the wealthy employer wins over Miranda. Having lost his wife and his job, De Sica becomes a grave digger at the cemetery he is supposedly buried in. Though the initial gag wears thin, there is some genuine wit within the occasionally overtalky screenplay. De Sica is not bad as an actor, giving a good black-comic performance. Miranda is equally funny as his confused wife caught up in their web of lies. (In Italian; English subtitles.)