An overlooked Sixties satire partnering production legend Dino De Laurentiis with unlikely director Vittorio De Sica (better known for Bicycle Thieves, Shoeshine, etc.), Il Boom stars Alberto Sordi as a hapless businessman who’s failed to take advantage of the titular economic miracle which is seemingly making the rest of Rome swing. Drowning in debt and unable to persuade friends or family to invest in a get-rich-quick construction scheme, he’s offered a macabre solution: sell one of his eyeballs to a monocular billionaire.
Poles apart from De Sica’s earlier neorealism, this easygoing oddity is out on DVD next week courtesy of StudioCanal. Prior to the release, Scottish viewers can enjoy two cinema screenings at Glasgow Film Theatre on April 18 and Edinburgh Filmhouse on April 24, as part of the ongoing Italian Film Festival.
