Classic de Sica

Typically de Sica, this is a poignant story of a lonely poverty-stricken pensioner who tries to raise the funds to pay his rent debts. His landlady is determined to evict him and his dog whether he pays or not.

His one human friend is the kitchen maid, with her own problems of pregnancy (so far hidden from the landlady).

At one point he gets himself into hospital as a means of being fed and thus saving a little more money. He loses his beloved dog, finds it again, and feeling suicidal, thinks of putting it in the care of a sort of dogs' home.

Almost leisurely in pace, it is beautifully observed, both sad and funny. There is no happy ending here, the overall feeling is quite sombre.

So what fun to see the 'featurette' about the director Cesare Zavattini. Within it is a hilarious description of a quarrel between Fellini and Zavattini, told with great gusto by the director Roberto Benigni. Almost worth renting just to see that!