L’Eletto (“The Chosen One”) is the third stage of one of the most intriguing creative journeys in the Italian comic scene in recent years. After exploring the boundaries, both imaginary and real, of romantic relationships and modern sentimental lexicons with Sniff and Tango, the partnership between Fulvio Risuleo (film director and screenwriter) and Antonio Pronostico (illustrator) now tackles the quirks and obsessions of the working world, specifically the dematerialized world of advanced tertiary services, creating a brilliant corporate noir. While their previous works, with their literary references, might have evoked “Gli amori difficili” by Calvino and “Rayuela” by Cortázar, this time they bring to mind the cynicism of Lars von Trier or the social satire of certain 1970s comedies by Scola, Monicelli, and Germi.
Petrullo, the protagonist of the story, with youthful recklessness and fervor, has decided to dedicate his life to art. Ignored by critics and snubbed by publishing houses, he tries to make his way in the world of poetry with his compositions. At a small book fair, two unsuspecting men in dark suits notice him, showing an almost excessive interest in his verses. They are particularly struck by the fact that his poems are all handwritten in cursive. A few days later, Petrullo is summoned for an interview at the offices of the company they work for and, unexpectedly, he is hired to hand-copy texts that seem meaningless to him. For our poet, this is the beginning of an unexpected and uncontrolled rise, which will lead him to win the favor of the great boss, who everyone secretly calls “The Master,” earning him a nickname that will prove to be very dangerous: “The Chosen One.”
Text by Giovanni Ferrara