Easy Years

In this satire inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector (aka The Inspector General) and transported to fascist era Italy, the (supposed) incognito visit of a Roman fascist official to a tiny country town shakes deeply the ruling class and their lack of integrity.

In Naples, Professor Bellavista is a retired man, passionate about the philosophy and thought of Ancient Greece. Every day, in his luxurious apartment, he teaches his lessons of life to the poor-nothing (his friends), who are dazzled by his reasoning. One day, however, the quiet life of the building of Bellavista will be disturbed by the arrival of a director of Milan. Between Naples and Milan there contrast, because the Neapolitans are accustomed to enjoy a quiet life, always based on the "philosophy of pleasure and delay", while the northern Italians are very strict and punctual.

A comedy film composed of 14 episodes. It is a sequel to I mostri, made in 1963. 1. The Finch of Val Padouan (Ettore Scola) - 2. Tantum ergo (Dino Risi) - 3. Hitchhiking (Mario Monicelli) - 4. Kidnapping of a Beloved Person (Ettore Scola) - 5. First Aid (Mario Monicelli) - 6. Big Boy to His Little Mother (Dino Risi) - 7. Model Citizen (Ettore Scola) - 8. Pornodiva (Dino Risi) - 9. Like a Queen (Ettore Scola) - 10. Inn! (Ettore Scola) - 11. Without Words (Dino Risi) - 12. The Funeral Oration (Ettore Scola)

In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing, but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought.