The film stars Nichetti as himself, who proudly promotes his titular "masterpiece" that mimics the tragic Italian neorealist style of Bicycle Thieves. His film features an impoverished family where Antonio Piermattei (also played by Nichetti) tries to steal a chandelier for his wife, Maria (Caterina Sylos Labini), while also trying to provide for his two children, Bruno (Federico Rizzo) and Paolo (Matteo Auguardi).
However, Nichetti gets increasingly frustrated when his film gets interrupted by full-colour commercials and is forced to enter the universe of his film after a model from one of the commercials (Heidi Komarek) appears in his film, and Maria ends up in another commercial.
(Commercial break jingle) Damned tropes!
- Deliberately Monochrome: Nichetti's film is monochrome, as it mimics the style and era of Bicycle Thieves. This also provides a contrast between the austerity of Nichetti's film and the apparent prosperity in the commercials.
- Fighting Across Time and Space: Towards the film's climax, Nichetti escapes jail and chases Bruno through multiple commercials, before ending up in one for floor wax, starring Maria.
- Fourth-Wall Observer: Bruno notices viewer Francesco eating a "Big-Big" chocolate bar and asks his parents to buy him one while singing the "Big-Big" advertising jingle; this causes a heated argument after Antonio suspects that Maria took Bruno to one of her rehearsals instead of school.
- Frame-Up: Bruno frames Nichetti for "drowning" Maria by making a confession to Don Italo (Renato Scarpa) after being told about Nichetti's planned ending to his film where Bruno and Paolo go to an orphanage.
- Insult Backfire: Bruno says this to Nichetti after framing him for "drowning" Maria."You can send your kids to the orphanage!"
- Intrepid Fictioneer: Nichetti enters his own film's universe in an attempt to get his story back on track after Maria appears in a commercial for laundry detergent.
- Refugee from TV Land:
- A power cut causes an American supermodel from another commercial to wash up on a lake near the Italian village Nichetti's film is set in.
- Maria escapes to the commercial universe by walking into the same lake, thinking Antonio had an affair with the model. Antonio, who was present at the time, is accused of "drowning" Maria.
- Ridiculous Exchange Rates: Nichetti innocently puts a ten thousand lire banknote into a collection for a wedding gift circa 1948, resulting in him getting jailed under suspicion both for the amount and because it's a note first issued
in 1984."That's a month's pay!" - Shout-Out: The whole film parodies Bicycle Thieves. Examples include:
- The Piermattei family's first names being the same as the Ricci family's.
- The film title itself (saponette instead of biciclette).
- Show Within a Show: Nichetti showcases his "masterpiece" film. Here's how it goes:
- Antonio Piermattei finds work in a chandelier factory to feed his impoverished family, and tries to steal a chandelier for his wife, Maria.
- Antonio is supposed to become paralysed in a traffic accident with a truck while riding home with the chandelier.
- The film is supposed to end with Maria being forced into prostitution, and their two sons (Bruno and Paolo) in an orphanage.
- Surprisingly Happy Ending: Just as Antonio believes that Maria and Bruno are gone forever, and just as the model is about to leave him, Maria and Bruno burst through the apartment door with shopping carts full of modern-day goods.
- Trapped in TV Land: Nichetti ends up trapped in the universe of his own film after the viewer switches off the television set before going to bed.
- "Don't leave me locked in this article: I want to get out!"
