The Italian equivalent of Breaking Bad is not surprisingly somewhat more light-hearted and funny, the film's popular success seeing it nominated for 10 David Di Donatello awards. Smetto Quando Voglio (I Can Quit Anytime I Want) stars Edoardo Leo as Pietro, a professor of molecular biology who is finding that his work is not really being valued at the college he teaches. He has a terrific new research thesis, potentially Nobel prize winning material, but no-one even understands it, much less respects his work.More importantly, as far as his wife is concerned, all his research doesn't pay the mounting bills, so Pietro hasn't the heart to tell her that he is in danger of losing his job. Even the private tutoring isn't paying, his students preferring to spend huge amounts of money on recreational drugs; expensive drugs that are cheap to make. Bing! Cheap and easy to make for a professor in molecular biology, particularly one who has just developed a new theoretical program that can be tweaked to be a psychotropic substance that isn't on the list of illegal substances because it doesn't exist yet.Gathering the best minds of academia behind it - all former colleagues of Pietro who have been left struggling in badly paid manual labour jobs - not only is it going to be the best drug ever, it's going to be the best organised operation ever. As long as they can keep from attracting the attentions of the local mafia, as long as Pietro's wife doesn't find out what he is doing and as long as all the money and hookers that come as part of the package don't impinge on the success of their operation. Obviously that's exactly what happens, but luckily they can give it up anytime they want...Smetto Quando Voglio succeeds partly because it has a basis in the reality that reflects the problems of funding and the value given to the academic professions, and the difficulty it has competing when students have other 'outside interests', but it mainly works because it is quite funny. It's largely a situational comedy, the main joke being the idea of a bunch of eggheads including an archaeologist, a cultural anthropologist, an economist and a molecular biologist, having to apply their learning to being petrol pump attendants or a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen, and then becoming drug kingpins who rob pharmacies with guns from the Napoleonic wars.The humour is light-hearted then, and there's nothing too flash about the script or the direction, although the high-saturation luminous colour scheme does give the film a nice contemporary feel that just makes the drug-running professors look even more out of place in the criminal underworld. It's the performances that keep it running, headed up by Edoardo Leo, who would go on to direct his own version of an unlikely team setting themselves up in business against the mob in Noi e la Giulia in 2015.

This must be the best Italian comedy of the last few years... Authentic and thought-provoking portrait of the socioeconomic impasse of that wonderful country and its newest generation of "adults". Hysterical gags and great acting. At long last, Italy reconnects with its greatest form of art - laughing at its own miseries and the whimsical ways they require to be overcome. "L'arte di arrangiarsi" (the art of getting by) over a draconian, timeless, ever-obstructing, complacently ignorant State will never cease to gift every generation with the Italian art of David and Goliath storytelling. Brilliant script, great technical quality..a must see!

This is the same premise as Breaking Bad (or Weeds), boasting an effective social commentary, only to wrap it all in a comedy. This simple pitch says everything about its big flaw: it wants to have a smart and serious basis but also be a light comedy about aloof kingpins.From the very start there is a rhythm issue. It takes too long to get to the nitty-gritty. In the end the movie would greatly benefit from a 20 minutes trim (to bring it closer to the ideal comedy length of 85min). The main character is fine though, we want to root for him and his life is adequately depicted. But soon after he gathers his team of aloof scholars the movie keeps stepping back and forth between social commentary and dimwitted comedy.From there the main character gets lost in the mix and the script complacently deals a couple of tired jokes about our clueless free-riding kingpins. Then they just patch a sorry ending to close the whole venture, without style, without flair. The exact opposite of the joyful social satire advertised. Actually snooty critics claim 'I Soliti Ignoti' (Big Deal on Madonna Street) is the comedic reference whereas it ends up much closer to The Hangover...Very disappointing indeed, although some parts ring true thanks to a fine cast. Obviously they didn't really know which story they were going to tell.

Finally an Italian comedy that eschews the stylistic elements that have been imposed in recent years with the so-called "Cinepanettoni"! This movie works so well because of many factors: it makes you laugh, has a cast in a state of grace, it has a nearly flawless script, it's well directed and, unusual for an Italian comedy, it's very close to the technical quality standards of international movies. Also, as all good comedies should do, the movie addresses the contemporary issue of young people who, despite being far too skilled, are not able to make a living because of the scarcity of opportunities. Not bad for a first-time director!