Commedia AllItaliana: Three Films By Dino Risi

Triple bill of Italian-language comedies from film-maker Dino Risi. In 'Il Vedovo' (1959), unhappily married business man Alberto Nardi (Alberto Sordi) is envious of his wife, Elvira (Franca Valeri), whose wealth and success he must rely upon to keep his own business from crumbling. When Elvira is set to take a train to visit her mother and the train catastrophically derails, Alberto may finally have access to his wife's abundant wealth, but his hasty plans are soon halted by a shocking discovery.

In 'Il Mattatore' (1960), unsuccessful aspiring actor Gerardo (Vittorio Gassman) is recruited into a scam due to his talent for imitating regional Italian accents. Gerardo is arrested for his crime and jailed, but inside prison he learns that he is surrounded by many experienced con men, who make fraud an art form. Finally, in 'Il Sorpasso' (1962), a chance encounter introduces shy law student Roberto (Jean Louis Trintignant) to livewire Bruno (Gassman), leading to a long road trip along the coasts of Lazio and Tuscany.

The two men bond over Bruno's embellished stories about his life as Roberto grows in confidence during the course of his new-found friendship.