Ugo Tognazzi and Mariangela Melato have great chemistry and give a solid performance in what appears to be a boring film only to the superficial (re)viewer. Basically Tognazzi is a Vet who, after becoming an officer, has served as doctor in the Italian Army since WW2 and is obsessed by the idea of being promoted to become a general. There are some truly memorable scenes, like the 'fanfara' platoon doing 183 laps because of the absent minded commander (Mario Scaccia), and the moment Tognazzi presents his memoirs to a panel of generals is simply pure genius. This is the director's debut feature so it is not perfect in terms of pace: but it is well crafted and well acted. Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed.