Cetto c’è, senzadubbiamente

Cetto La Qualunque, after his days in politics, has rebuilt a life abroad in Germany, living with Madre Petra, Marit Nissen and their daughter, alongside his loyal friend Pino, Nicola Rignanese. One quiet evening, a family dinner with his in‑laws triggers a startling phone call: his elderly aunt is on her deathbed, and her last revelation shatters the sense of belonging he has built. When he returns to his hometown of Marina di Sopra, the truth comes pouring out—his father was not a modest door‑to‑door detergent seller, but the prince Buffo di Calabria. That revelation makes Cetto reconsider his place in the world and asks for confirmation from his ex-wife Carmen La Qualunque, Lorenza Indovina, who has since become a nun. The news unsettles him deeply, especially as he observes how much his former family has changed in his absence.

With the weight of royal blood now on his shoulders, Cetto is approached by Count Venanzio dal Verme, a powerful nobleman who sees in him a doorway back to monarchy. Venanzio stirs a rekindled appetite for traditional rule and even suggests reviving a Bourbon lineage—though he cheekily renames the project the “Two Calabrias,” arguing that one Sicily is already plenty. Democracy, to Venanzio’s mind, has failed Italy, and Cetto appears to be the man who can restore order, prestige, and power. Yet the path to a throne is not straightforward. A specter from the past—Ferdinando Buffo di Calabria, the prince’s nephew—presses Cetto to undergo a DNA test to prove any blood connection, challenging him to prove his claim to the noble line.

Meanwhile, political calculations move quickly. Venanzio pressures Cetto to seal the deal by marrying the Infanta of Portugal, a union meant to stabilize the monarchy’s legitimacy. Petra, summoned to step aside for the sake of political alliance, leaves with a vow of revenge, a thread that tugs at the heart of Cetto’s fragile personal life. The wedding is set under the cover of papal and royal support; a cardinal from the Church lends his backing, and the ceremony unfolds even as Cetto remains distant, more interested in the many escorts who fill his days than in his betrothed. The campaign heats up, with Melo La Qualunque—Cetto’s estranged ally and the former mayor—taking the helm of the electoral effort to preserve the republic or crown the monarchy anew. Melo’s campaign winds through the German town where he now acts as a public figurehead, his every move watched by a curious public.

Just as victory seems possible, Venanzio’s schemes unravel. The DNA plot, which could have cemented Cetto’s royal status, is exposed as a fabrication designed to consolidate Venanzio’s power. Realizing the ruse, Cetto and Pino—his steadfast friend—reveal that they have uncovered Venanzio’s treachery and vow to prevent any future attempts to manipulate the crown. The referendum proceeds, and the campaign culminates in a coronation that would have cemented Cetto’s rule. Yet the moment of triumph is tempered by Petra’s daring act: a pistol shot wounds Cetto, a dramatic turn that momentarily unsettles the ascent to the throne.

The wound is not fatal, and recovery becomes a second stage of the story. Even as he heals, Cetto’s mind lurches toward the same fantasy he always entertained—the restoration of the monarchy. Petra’s intervention marks a turning point, revealing cracks in the image of invincible power and testing the limits of her own vengeance. Yet rather than renouncing his ambitions, Cetto uses the incident to reaffirm his determination to pursue a grand, albeit flawed, vision of leadership. The world he returns to—republics, referendums, and the fickle currents of public opinion—does not easily bow to a singular will, but the promise of nobility continues to pull at him. In the end, while Petra’s action shakes the foundations of his authority, Cetto resolves to press onward with his monarchical dream, convinced that even a constitutional order can bend to a man who believes he is born to rule.

Throughout the tale, the interplay of family loyalties, Political machinations, and personal ambition creates a tapestry of humor and irony. The once‑sharp divide between personal desire and public duty blurs as Cetto navigates a landscape where lineage and legacy carry heavy weight, and where the promise of a throne can be both alluring and corrosive. The characters around him—from his daughter and his devoted friends to the scheming nobles and the ex‑wife who has chosen a cloister over a life of intrigue—add texture to a story that questions what it means to be a king in a modern republic. In a finale that refuses to neatly resolve every tension, the film leaves the impression that, for Cetto, the lure of sovereignty remains a compelling, if imperfect, compass—one that could steer him toward power again, even as the world around him continues to shift in unpredictable ways.