Umberto D.

Judging by his demeanour, the D stands for Deep Depression. But the old man at the centre of De Sica's famous film from the heyday of Italian neo-realism hasn't got much to be happy about, stripped bare as he is of all money and all friends except a little fox terrier. There's no denying the director's compassion, nor the dignity and strength of Carlo Battisti's performance, but there's nothing so wilting as doom and gloom couched in sweetly sentimental terms.