Il Ragazzo di Campagna: So relatable it hurts (in a funny way)

Okay, so last night, way too late, I stumbled upon this Italian comedy called Il Ragazzo di Campagna - "The Country Boy" - from 1984. I had ZERO expectations, tbh. But man, did it hit a nerve! It's about this dude, Artemio, who lives on a farm and is just… completely out of touch with modern life. He's like, aggressively rural. Then he decides to move to Milan. Chaos ensues. Seriously, the scene where he tries to cross the street for the first time? I almost died laughing. It's such a simple concept, but the way Renato Pozzetto (the actor) plays it, with that bewildered look on his face as cars whizz past, is pure gold. There's another bit where he's trying to order food and just shouts 'POLENTA!' at the waiter. I felt that on a spiritual level. We've ALL been there, right? Feeling like a complete alien in a new environment. The whole movie leans hard into the culture clash, but not in a mean way. More like a gentle ribbing. What really got me was how Artemio, despite all the awkwardness, never really loses his… essence? He tries to adapt, but he also kind of forces the city to adapt to him a little. And that's a fun message. Like, don't be afraid to be yourself, even if everyone around you is doing something different. Or maybe I was just really tired, lol. Anyway, if you need a laugh and you're willing to deal with subtitles (and the occasional 80s fashion disaster), give Il Ragazzo di Campagna a shot. It's not gonna change your life, but it's a surprisingly sweet and funny movie about finding your place, even if your place involves yelling about polenta.