Milizia territoriale: A dusty relic that's surprisingly stubborn

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for pre-war Italian fluff, you might find a bit of charm here. If you need a movie that actually goes somewhere or respects your time, skip it.

This is strictly for people who like movies that feel like they were filmed in someone's living room. Everyone else will probably be bored to tears within twenty minutes.

Notes from the back row

The pacing is… well, it’s not really there. It feels like the director just let the camera roll while the actors figured out where to stand. Sometimes people just stand there, staring at each other for a beat too long, like they forgot their lines or are waiting for a cue that never comes.

Maurizio D'Ancora is doing his absolute best to hold the screen together. He has this frantic energy, like he’s trying to keep a sinking ship afloat by sheer willpower. It’s actually kind of impressive to watch, even if the movie around him is falling apart.

There is a scene in the second act where a door opens and closes about six times in thirty seconds. It feels less like a comedy bit and more like a malfunctioning appliance. I think the editor just gave up at that point. 🤷‍♂️

Old vibes

It’s funny how movies like this remind me of stuff like Melody Cruise or even the frantic energy of Cooks and Crooks. They all share this DNA of 'let's just get the actors in the frame and hope for the best.' It’s messy, sure, but it feels human.

The uniforms look like they’re made of cardboard. You can almost see the stitching fraying whenever someone moves too quickly.

Some random observations:

• Rosina Anselmi steals every scene she is in just by looking annoyed.
• The background music is basically just someone playing a piano too fast.
• I’m still not entirely sure what the plot was supposed to be, but the militia stuff seemed mostly like an excuse to wear hats.
• The dialogue moves at a speed that suggests they were being paid by the word.

There's a weird lack of tension for a movie about a militia. It feels like a summer camp where everyone forgot to do their chores. If you're looking for something that captures the specific, slightly sweaty atmosphere of 1930s European comedy, this fits the bill. Just don't ask me to explain the ending, because I think they just stopped filming when they ran out of film.