Considering that I've seen quite a few film shorts directed by Bruno Bozzetto and enjoyed them very much, it's inevitable that I'd eventually see one that left me flat. No artist can get it right every time and no one out there in the audience is always in love with a film maker's every work (unless, of course, they are zombies). I think the biggest reason I didn't like it is because the style and humor are so different from the later Bozzetto films. First, this isn't particularly funny. Second, it's a bit surreal. Third, the artwork is very simple--even for a Bozzetto film.
The story is about life and its transitions. The story begins in childhood and moves to school and the university and careers--all being told with very box-like shapes. The artwork, at times, is very bleak and dull. At others, it looks almost like a Gaugin painting. It's all very strange and I just couldn't get into it--and I did try.