The recurring character of Michele (as always, played by Moretti) is here an official of the Italian Communist Party who experiences temporary amnesia as the result of a car accident. As he tries to reconstruct his life, dreams, and political motives—skewering militants, organized religion, parental relations, and even Dr. Zhivago along the way—the laughs flow freely. Using a water polo match (Moretti’s favorite sport) as an allegory for the stagnation of the Italian Communist Party, Moretti captures Michele’s personal tension in a culminating moment as he takes the decisive penalty shot.