murg-2 I try to keep up with world news, and as Italy's not that far away I did pick up on the fact that Berlusconi was trying to own the Italian media. What I didn't realize was how many people were useful idiots on the way, something that would have to be a necessity in order to impose these undemocratic rules in a democracy. This movie describes what to many of us seem impossible, that in a regular democracy it is fully possible to start stripping off what we regard as fundamental rights. How can it be that easy, to impose censorship? I think the movie shows this in a clearifying manner, and may open you eyes to the importance of a free and independent press.

echobase In the era of Michael Moore-like documentary-makers this film was long due! I've been living out of Italy for about 15 years now and my first reaction while watching this film was a certain guilt and shame to be part of a country where the term "freedom of speech" was so loose! Yet, the ending of the film could not have been more optimistic: Seeing all those (mainly young) people at the end of the film standing in line to watch Guzzanti's second part of her satirical show made me realise that the future for Italy is not as dark as you might think and after all. I really should be proud of being part of a Country where actually just a few people at the top are corrupted but most of the others have a real will to change things, and hopefully things will change soon! But, I'm digressing, back to the film! Stilistically the film is a bit all over the place (spilt screens happen completely arbitrarily, jump cuts, bad rostrum shots of newspapers and so on), the whole thing seems to be cut on Final Cut Pro or some cheap editing system by somebody who wants to try to new FX here and there for no apparent reason, but luckily all this doesn't matter, since the subject itself and the argument for the film are so strong that you hardly notice anything else but the real content. And that's the way it should be. The film sadly is very Italian and assumes everybody knows most of the people who are being interviewed. And it's a shame because it would not have needed a lot more to make it a little bit more appealing to the rest of the world. Surely it could have done with some more background information and some more archive clips from some of the other comedian who have been censured just to get an idea of what kind of stuff they stand for (I.e. Grillo, Paolo Rossi etc) . I'm sure a lot of foreigners will get lost in the hundreds of names that are mentioned. But sorry, I'm just picking needles: I guess I just want this film to be seen by as many people as possible, because I know that this is the only way to make a change! But as long as Italians watch it I'll be happy! Well done Guzzanti, but please don't stop now!!

sevs17 This film wants to be a view of the Italian political scene. While everybody knows the feelings of Miss Guzzanti which should be fully respected, one wonders why she claims that in Italy there is a type of dictatorship if she was allowed to make such a movie.I watched the movie by mistake and because I have a hobby in politics found it interesting, but if you are not "anti-Berlusconian" like Guzzanti, this is a waste of time and money. It shows Italy in a complete bias way and seems that there is no freedom of speech. It shows that Berlusconi is always bad and that the left is always good.I don't suggest the movie to anyone interested in Italian culture.

Dr_Nightfly I was brought to see this movie by a friend, not knowing of the extraordinary feedback it got from audience and most critics at Venice.What a pleasant surprise! For someone who refers to herself as "just a jester" as Ms. Guzzanti does, in a bout of understatement, she does pull together a serious and impartial picture of the dismal state of freedom of speech in Italy, how downtrodden it has been by few who hold the power and how (too) many never felt obliged to stand up and denounce the sorry state of things. She is one of the few who did, and paid by being ostracized from possibly all main TV channels, making a row of enemies for herself even among those whose political stance should be closer to hers, or those who should have the moral integrity to stand by her.Since those enemies are very well aware of the potential of this "Italian Farenheit 9/11" as some movie critic has aptly labelled the movie, it is no surprise that there are only 55 screens showing it in Italy - as per the information on the official movie site - and definitely not the ones in the "mainstream" distribution, mainly owned or influenced by those people and companies whose interests are exposed - as was to be demonstrated. Trailers are also conspicuously absent from all usual TV spots for movies, and I am yet to see a single interview to people involved in Viva Zapatero - a further confirmation.There is a strong autobiographical streak in the movie, recounting the sometimes grotesque events that led to her defenestration from RAI (public Italian) television and the clumsy, embarrassed, and unfortunately, ignorant justifications brought forward by the individuals involved. This storytelling choice could not have been avoided, though I would have preferred a wider series of cases which would have underlined the systematic quenching of any dissenting voices, both satirical and from independent media at large, which is taking place in Italy, and the equally systematic lack of response from the "opposition" which seems to willingly favour a less free system that they may have the fortune to be handed control over, after elections next year.This movie is a funny, stimulating and valiant attempt at bringing a fundamental change in a country's basic political debate, open up eyes and provide people with a further tool to analyse the causes of the paralysis of its political system. However, I am afraid, it will not be seen by all those in Italy who would most greatly benefit from watching, neither in theaters, nor in its further incarnations, nor very much understood in its deep societal impact abroad.Maybe Ms. Guzzanti would be best served by distributing it on the net for free, and by having her producers / distributors follow Michael Moore's lead by not charging fees for public free viewings. Low circulation of this satirical documentary would serve best only the interests of those Ms. Guzzanti is fighting against.Final note: on the morning after I saw Viva Zapatero, Time Magazine named Beppe Grillo, one of the people whose story is very similar to Ms. Guzzanti's, who also appears in the movie, one of the "European Heroes 2005." Guzzanti is a strong candidate for 2006.That was my comment, safely composed from Munich, under pseudonym...