I am Santa Claus on Rai 2: film plot, cast, Gigi Proietti

THEn air this evening at 9.20pm on Rai 2 there is I am Santa Claus. This is Gigi Proietti’s latest film, a Christmas comedy where the unforgettable Mandrake by Horse fever interprets Santa Claus. At his side Marco Giallini in the role of an ex-convict who becomes his most faithful helper.

I am Santa Clausthe plot

Sad and restless, Ettore (Marco Giallini) is an ex-convict released from prison after a robbery conviction. Moreover, with Laura (Barbara Ronchi), ex-partner, relationships are now non-existent he never met his daughter born while he was inside.

With little hope for the future, for Ettore the only prospect seems to be to return to stealing but, as if by magic, something happens. An elderly gentleman (Gigi Proietti) who mistakes him for a homeless man, gives him 50 Euros. Then, again this guy, who is called Nicola Natalizi, makes him an extraordinary revelation: he is Santa Claus, and needs help delivering presents.

This is how it begins for Ettore a prodigious and “regenerating” adventure, able to bring a little hope into his life without prospects. Until – now that Nicola is about to retire – take the place of Santa Claus.

A Christmas film with a modern flavour

Alternating fairy-tale atmospheres, a pinch of American comedy and classic skits of the local comedyEdoardo Falcone’s film certainly is a successful operation, imbued with magical realism that warms the heart.

Not at all stereotypical and low dose of molasses, I am Santa Claus follows paths already taken recently by contemporary Italian cinema. That is, mixing fairy-tale elements (and a crime thread) with folklore linked to the Christmas holidays. As already seen in The befana comes at night with Paola Cortellesi in 2018 and its prequel with Monica Bellucci in 2021.

Here, thanks to the presence of crazy actors like Giallini and Proietti, the director takes a further step forward. Leaving it to the two Roman interpreters Totò and Peppino style skits within a plot halfway between Mom I missed the plane And An armchair for two. The redeemed criminal is a classic of storytelling, especially Christmasand Marco Giallini is simply perfect in capturing all the nuances of his character.

Gigi Proietti deserves a separate discussion. Although his proverbial histrionics have dulled slightly with age, the actor it is flawless in the role of a Santa Claus who, due to rheumatism, leaves Lapland for the warmth of the capital. A sweet and fairy-tale role, almost a sort of bequest for his audience.

Gigi Proietti, unforgettable actor

Brilliant, histrionic and multifaceted artist, Gigi Proietti passed away on November 2, 2020, the very day of his 80th birthday.

Born in Rome in 1940, he made his debut at just over twenty years old in the capital’s underground stages, immediately showing off his skills as a quick-change artist and comic mask. Which will lead him, in the seventies, to become one of the most loved actors also on television and auteur cinema.

Alternating theatre, cinema and the small screen, over the decades Proietti has not only revolutionized the world of entertainment with his unforgettable characters. But he was able, with grace and education, to enter the hearts of all Italians.

Especially in the nineties, when the actor literally lived a second youth thanks to record-breaking fiction such as The lawyer Porta And Marshal Rocca. The latter capable of keeping us glued, for the last episode, over 16 million viewers. In the last years of his life, however, the actor dedicated himself more to his first love: the theatre. Also directing the prestigious Shakespearean Globe Theater of Rome, faithful replica of the English original.

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