Talcum Powder

Sergio works in a record shop, goes out collecting instalments and nothing ever happens in his life. One day he calls at the flat of a woman in arrears and meets Nadia, who introduces herself as somebody else. Nadia is quick, energetic and a liar; Sergio decides to be somebody else for her too and builds a large lie. The subject is not romance but both people existing under an invented identity. Neither likes their own life and each offers the other a more interesting version; when the lie comes out it is therefore a relief rather than a catastrophe. The form rests on the Rome of the eighties: record shops, cassettes, radio broadcasts, nightclubs. Much of the film's texture comes from the daily life of the period. Carlo Verdone is at the centre, directing and playing the lead. Throughout his career he played timid, stuck men who cannot speak, and this is among the best-known examples. Christian De Sica is in the cast. The film was awarded at the Italian David di Donatello prizes. Eleonora Giorgi plays Nadia. Who it is for: viewers who like Italian romantic comedy and are curious about eighties Italy. Who it is not for: anyone expecting fast comedy; the film rests on character observation and moves slowly.