''The Raffle'' () is a 1991 Italian

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film written and directed by

Francesco Laudadio Francesco Laudadio (2 January 1950 – 6 April 2005) was an Italian director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Born in Mola di Bari, graduated in philosophy, Laudadio started his career as a script supervisor and an assistant directo ...

. It marked the film debut of

Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model who began her career as a fashion model before working in Italian, American, and French films. She has an eclectic filmography in a range of genres and langua ...

Plot

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

, Italy, Francesca, a beautiful and wealthy woman, is widowed and left with her daughter Giulia, and a pile of debts incurred by her husband Maurizio, whose betrayals she also discovers. On the advice of her friend Cesare, who is also a lawyer, Francesca sells off her villa by the sea, furniture, furs and jewelry, as well as a boat (which Cesare buys), to pay for at least one year of rent, and the tuition for little Giulia's exclusive school. There are no job prospects for Francesca, so Francesca and Cesare decide to hold a raffle in which the prize will be Francesca. The raffle will be limited to twenty participants, who will each pay 100 million lire. The winner will have the right to live with Francesca for four years and can ask for whatever he wants. Raffle ticket buyers include friends of the late husband and Cesare himself. One day, Francesca runs over a young man, Antonio, with whom she begins a love affair. He seems to know about the raffle and, despite proclaiming his amorous passion, he would be willing for her to be enjoyed by the winner, continuing his secret meetings with her. In reality, the penniless young man aims over time to benefit from the raffle money. A few days before the raffle drawing, however, the prosecutor receives a complaint about the raffle and the lawyer. The lawyer's office is searched, and a scandal threatens that could disturb local society. When questioned by the police, Francesca does not deny the story of the raffle, but says that the prize is actually the boat purchased by Cesare and the friends have mobilized to help her and the child. To avoid a scandal, the commissioner accepts this story, after which Francesca takes a plane and leaves forever, living off the raffle money.

Cast

as Francesca *

Giulio Scarpati Giulio Scarpati (born 20 February 1956) is an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Rome, pretty active on stage, after several small film roles Scarpati had his breakout role in 1991 as Marco, the main character in the Giuseppe Piccioni's dr ...

as Antonio * Massimo Ghini as Cesare * as Enrico * Sandra Collodel as Carla * Christina Engelhardt as Barbara * Tiziana Pini as Camilla *

Marino Masé Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to: Places * Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy * Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide ** Marino Conservation Park ** Marino Rocks Greenway, a cycling route ** Marino Rocks railwa ...

Renato Scarpa Renato Scarpa (14 September 1939 – 30 December 2021) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 85 films from 1969 to 2019. Scarpa died on 30 December 2021, at the age of 82. Selected filmography * '' Under the Sign of Scorpio'' (1969) * '' ...

Paolo De Vita Paolo De Vita (born 29 June 1957) is an Italian film and television actor. Born in Bari, he debuted on television in 1984 with the TV series ''Aeroporto internazionale'' (International Airport), followed by the 1985 miniseries ''Un siciliano in ...

* Maurizio Sciarra as Lawyer Di Cillo (uncredited)

References

External links

* 1991 films 1991 comedy-drama films 1990s Italian films 1990s Italian-language films Films directed by Francesco Laudadio Films set in Bari Films shot in Apulia Italian comedy-drama films {{1990s-comedy-drama-film-stub