My Friends (1976)

Fresh and Exciting

A Masterpiece!

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Dear Mario Monicelli, Amici Miei/My Friends is the third film by you that I watched in the last three months. It was not as enjoyable as Big Deal on Madonna Street or The Great War. One reason could be that it was pretty anarchic. There was no real plot. Just the anti-social antics of a bunch of aging friends, one after the other. Their misogynistic sexual escapades and their picking on the weak and uptight. The film is so politically incorrect. Feminists might throw a hissy fit if they're shown this film. Show it to those bitches. Lol! And it is downright mean. Like the scene where they slap passengers on a passing train. Or call up random women and abuse them. Or pick on a gluttonous man by pretending to be gangsters (they take this gag to the very extreme, it is an important part of the film). Or taking a dump in a little kids potty.Even the aging have a right to have fun and they do so by showing their asses to the miserable society that lives by the rules. Life is mostly heartbreaking and unfair. And even at the end of a fun filled day, you still have to return to your job and other sordid realities. But there is no harm in having some fun. And do not expect society to like you when you have a good time.Like Big Deal on Madonna Street and The Great War, My Friends is also very bitter sweet. The ending sort of drives home this point. Monicelli foregrounds the picaresque nature of the friends but keeps reminding us that not everything is OK. The square characters keep turning up every once in a while.The film has a very non-intrusive background score. It is used in the beginning to set the mood. And then it is played only towards the end.One reviewer said I would not get it completely if I was not Italian. I guess he was right. I know nothing about the social context of this film.Best regards, Pimpin.(8/10)

This is a terrific film and probably one of the sweetest, funniest comedies ever made. The fearsome foursome never miss an opportunity to make a total mess of established society, all in the name of a good time. Nothing is sacred and anyone can become an instant, impromptu victim or their pranks. The scene at the train station is by far my favourite, and just the thought of the old guys lining up to slap people straight in the face makes me want to laugh out loud. See this film wherever you can, it's heartwarming and hilarious.If only it were more accessible so that younger generations could enjoy this!

Italian comedy has never been as pure and simple as in Amici Miei. Many Italian comedic actors have taken inspiration from this gem. Unfortunately, this movie is not available to the greater audiences in the US. I saw this movie when it was released and many times after that. Grazie, Mario!

One of the most hilarious films I've ever seen. From the beginning to the end. Unfortunately, it's not avaliable in video. The story is about five friends that often decide to meet and go out to make fun and jokes with unknown people and friends. From a train station where they hit the faces of passengers outside the windows of the trains, to going in a child's bathroom during a wedding party of people they know!!!