Poveri Ma Ricchi | Wildside

Synopsis

The Tuccis are a poor family living in a small village near Rome: father, mother, a narcissist daughter and a prodigious son, forced to pretend he’s an idiot not to embarrass his family.

Living with them, we also find Mr. Tucci’s brother in law, an unemployed botanist, and a TV series-addicted grandma. One day, something totally unexpected occurs: the Tuccis win ONE HUNDRED MILLION Euro. Holding back their excitement, they decide to keep their win secret, but, as often happens in such cases, one word too many slips out from the head of the family’s mouth and the Tucci’s have only one option to avoid being persecuted by self-alleged friends and acquaintances: escaping. In the heart of the night they pack and leave; destination MILAN. The city Mrs. Tucci always dreamt about before marrying.

Once there and having taken possession of their new millionaire life, the Tuccis realize that the times have changed; the life of the rich isn’t what it used to be. Today the rich are low profile, eat almost nothing, they’re environmentalists, they do charity, keep fit and ride bicycles or electric cars. Being rich today has become a real bore.

And this discovery makes things very different from how the Tuccis were expecting them.

Year: 2016 Running Time: 97' min.

Director's Notes

Now at my tenth film as a director, I never thought I’d find myself facing so many FIRST TIMES. “Poveri ma Ricchi” (“Poor but Rich”) is my FIRST comic film. All the others were – more or less – sentimental comedies. It is my FIRST remake, the original version, “Les Tuche”, having been a huge success in France. It was readapted to the Italian reality because of some deep differences between Italy and France: the most important one being that in Italy winners of huge sums of money remain “hidden”, while in France they become TV stars. It is my FIRST film with Christian De Sica. This is my most bizarre first time, having written over ten successful Christmas films for Neri Parenti all starring Christian De Sica. But somehow I had never directed him in one of my own films. It is also my FIRST film with Enrico Brignano. And this is bizarre too, considering our friendship and mutual esteem and that I once produced one of his films as actor. It is my FIRST film set mainly in Milan. It is my FIRST film with a debuting musician: FRANCESCO GABBANI, winner of the newcomer’s section of the Sanremo Song Festival. It is also the FIRST film my dad will not be able see. And the first I directed as a dad. Perhaps this is why the story rotates around a family and the importance of staying united. Have fun!