Prematurely retired while his yuppie wife heads happily to work, Gianni (Gianni Di Gregorio) has nothing to do but walk the dog and pine for all the buxom women who pass by in Rome, barely noticing this saggy, 60-ish, puffy-eyed dreamer. When not feeling defeated by his non-sexual life, Gianni frets about his demanding, high-spending, ancient mother, who is running wild through his pension. The Salt of Life deftly sprinkles wacky humor in with the melancholy, and Di Gregorio is a winning talent, both as the amusing star actor and as the film's co-writer and director. It's two fine comedies in a row for Di Gregorio, previously touted for Mid-August Lunch.
