BREAD AND CHOCOLATE

BREAD AND CHOCOLATE, a movie that seems to have won just about every major film festival award around, is the story of a man in a foreign land, the misadventures of a person trapped between two cultures. Nino Manfredi stars as an Italian working in Switzerland, first as a waiter and then at any job he can get. He is talkative, flamboyant and occasionally gauche. He is terrified of losing his job and the resident work permit that requires him to be employed if he wants to stay in Switzerland. Manfredi is a delightful and inventive clown, appealing even in moments that are not entirely sympathetic, as he plays the role of one of the unfortunates of this world for whom the worst always seems to happen. Director Franco Brusati has filled this delightful film with humor, tenderness and charm. “A heart squeezing and hilarious performance in a joyously directed jubilant comedy.” -Gene Shalit, NBC-TV