Johnny Stecchino

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Johnny Stecchino ★★★ 1992 (R)

A breathless, charming comedy about mistaken identity, with Benigni starring as both Dante, a mild-mannered Roman bus driver, and his double, a notorious Mafioso known as “Johnny Toothpick.” Dante happens to meet a lovely woman who takes exceptional interest in him, even inviting him to visit her home in Palermo. The reason she's interested is that Dante is the exact double of her husband, who has ratted on his fellow mobsters and needs a patsy to take the fall. Benigni's expressive body language and sweetness of character is well-showcased. In Italian with English subtitles. 100m/C VHS . IT Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Paolo Bonacelli, Ignazio Pappalardo, Franco Volpi; D: Roberto Benigni; W: Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami; C: Giuseppe Lan-ci; M: Evan Lurie.