Whatsoeverly

Corrupt and flamboyant entrepreneur Cetto La Qualunque returns to Italy and throws himself into local politics to derail his scrupulous rival from becoming mayor. He treats the campaign as a stage, flashing cash, orchestrating media stunts, and talking in blunt, populist sound bites designed to win over ordinary voters. The film follows his outward bravado and the messy, comic fallout as allies and enemies collide, while the race spirals into a spectacle of bribes, backroom deals, and loud rhetoric. It scratches at how power can be bought and sold in small town politics, balancing crude humor with a jaundiced look at ambition and influence.

Directed by Giulio Manfredonia, Whatsoeverly is built around a character created by Antonio Albanese and Piero Guerrera. The release showcases Albanese in a larger role, expanding the satirical world that first emerged on screen in Italian comedy, while preserving the bite of the original premise.

Critics saw the film as a pointed satire of corruption, populism, and the media circus that surrounds local elections. It mixes farce with social commentary, exploiting Cetto's outrageous schemes to expose how easily voters are swayed by color and controversy, even when promises ring hollow. The tone stays tight and funny while not losing sight of sharper ideas about how power gets traded in the pursuit of advantage and recognition.

The movie contributed to a recognizable caricature in Italian pop culture, with Cetto La Qualunque becoming a shorthand for opportunistic politicians. Albanese's performance helped cement a template for political comedy that provocatively unsettles audiences while inviting dialogue about power, hypocrisy, and the price of ambition.