Mr. Fifteen Balls

Mr. Fifteen Balls (Il signor Quindicipalle, 1998) is an Italian comedy you can watch online on iFILM — written, directed by, and starring Francesco Nuti, one of the best-known Tuscan comedians of his generation. The nickname in the title refers to an actual trick shot: fifteen pool balls pocketed in one stroke, played with the handle of a broom instead of a cue.

Francesco tours venues across Tuscany putting on trick-shot exhibitions. At his father's funeral he meets Sissi (Sabrina Ferilli) and falls for her on the spot. He keeps returning to the cemetery hoping she'll appear; eventually their paths cross at one of his shows. A relationship follows — and gradually Francesco starts to suspect what Sissi actually does for a living. The story is told in flashback, low-key and a little wistful, rooted in the everyday rhythms of Tuscan life. Stream Mr. Fifteen Balls (1998) online on iFILM.