Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Two 20th-century friends accidentally stumble into the year 1492, where they meet a charming teen and try to alter history.
Roberto Benigni and Massimo Troisi's Italian cult comedy benefits enormously from the electric chemistry and improvisational genius of its two leads, whose performances elevate the material well above average. The time-travel premise is charming but not especially original, and the film leans heavily on the comedic rapport of its stars rather than plot mechanics. Cinematography is functional and workmanlike for an 80s Italian production without memorable visual ambition. The ending is bittersweet and tonally appropriate but not surprising. Novelty sits in the middle — the film has a distinct Italian comic voice shaped by its two singular stars, but the concept itself is familiar.