Okay, fellow tape travellers, let’s rewind to a time when Italian comedy wasn’t just subtitled art house fare, but could also mean pure, unadulterated slapstick chaos found tucked away on the shelves of your local video rental joint. Sometimes you’d grab a tape based purely on a weird title or vaguely familiar European actor, pop it in the VCR late at night, and stumble onto something delightfully absurd. That’s exactly the vibe firing up the cathode rays for Luca Verdone’s 1986 farce, 7 Kilos in 7 Days (7 chili in 7 giorni).
### The Unlikely Health Gurus
Forget polished Hollywood sheen; this film throws you headfirst into the slightly grubby, endearingly frantic world of Alfio (Renato Pozzetto) and Silvano (Carlo Verdone). They’re two down-on-their-luck guys, barely scraping by, who stumble upon what seems like a genius moneymaking scheme: converting a dilapidated country villa into a high-end weight loss clinic. The catch? Neither of them knows the first thing about health, fitness, or nutrition. Their 'revolutionary' methods involve near-starvation, bizarre pseudo-treatments, and a whole lot of panicked improvisation. It’s a classic comedy setup, ripe for disaster, and the film absolutely delivers on that promise.
The real engine here is the pairing of Renato Pozzetto and Carlo Verdone. For Italian audiences in the 80s, this was a major comedic event. Pozzetto, with his unique deadpan delivery and slightly surreal persona, was already a massive star. Carlo Verdone, equally huge, known for his frantic energy and gallery of memorable character types (often playing multiple roles in his own films, like in Bianco, Rosso e Verdone from 1981), brings a nervous intensity that perfectly complements Pozzetto’s laid-back scheming. Seeing them bounce off each other is the film’s primary joy. It's worth noting this was directed by Carlo's brother, Luca Verdone, making it a bit of a family affair, though Carlo was definitely the bigger name directing his own successful comedies by this point.
### Chaos, Italian Style
What passes for "action" in 7 Kilos is the glorious, escalating pandemonium. There are no car chases blowing up fruit stands in the traditional sense, but the pacing is relentless. The comedy is physical, often bordering on the cartoonish, as Alfio and Silvano try desperately to maintain control over their increasingly suspicious (and hungry) clientele. Remember those scenes where everything just spirals beautifully out of control? This film is built on that principle. The villa itself, supposedly the Villa Ronciglione near Viterbo, becomes a character – a crumbling pressure cooker filled with eccentric wealthy types slowly realizing they’ve been had.
The script, co-written by the legendary duo Leonardo Benvenuti and Piero De Bernardi (responsible for classics like Amici Miei and the Fantozzi series), alongside Luca Verdone, understands comedic structure perfectly. They build the situation layer by layer, introducing complications and character quirks that pay off in increasingly hilarious ways. It might seem simplistic by today's standards, but the craftsmanship in setting up the gags and letting the performers run wild is undeniable. Apparently, the film was a significant hit in Italy upon release, tapping right into the public's love for these two comedians and this particular brand of organised chaos.
### That Authentic 80s Feel
Watching 7 Kilos in 7 Days now is like unearthing a time capsule. The fashion is gloriously, unapologetically 80s Italian – think questionable knitwear, oversized glasses, and hairstyles that defy gravity. The whole aesthetic feels slightly faded, like a well-loved photograph, which somehow enhances the charm, especially if you first encountered it on a slightly fuzzy VHS copy. There's a rawness here, a lack of slickness that feels authentic to the era. The humour, too, is very much of its time – some jokes might land differently today, but the core physical comedy and the exasperation of the central characters remain universally funny.
It’s interesting how different national comedies felt back then. This doesn’t have the snappy, reference-heavy style of American 80s comedies, nor the dry wit of British sitcoms. It’s broader, more reliant on expressive performances and farcical situations, a flavour that feels distinctly Mediterranean. It’s the kind of film you might have caught on late-night TV or rented purely out of curiosity, adding it to your personal catalogue of weird and wonderful VHS discoveries. I distinctly remember finding a copy with slightly wonky subtitles, which only added another layer of surreal humour to the experience.
### The Verdict
7 Kilos in 7 Days isn't high art, and it wasn't trying to be. It’s a vehicle for two beloved Italian comedians to do what they do best: create comedic mayhem. The plot is simple, the execution is energetic, and the laughs, while rooted in the 80s, are often genuine. It’s a film powered by star chemistry and a willingness to embrace the absurd.
Rating: 7/10
Justification: The film earns a solid 7 for the brilliant comedic pairing of Pozzetto and Verdone, the well-structured farcical plot typical of Benvenuti & De Bernardi, and its undeniable status as a snapshot of popular 80s Italian comedy. It loses a few points for humour that occasionally feels dated and a certain predictability in its chaos, but the energy and charm carry it through.
Final Comment: For a taste of pure, unpretentious 80s Euro-comedy chaos powered by two masters, 7 Kilos in 7 Days is a delightful slice of VHS-era silliness that still delivers laughs, even if the diet plan remains highly questionable. A must-watch for fans of Verdone, Pozzetto, or anyone who misses that specific flavour of frantic foreign comedy.