... although there are occasional screwball elements. I was most struck in the first half how the Mastroianni character is constantly dashing Loren's dreams and expectations of how events are going to go - taking her to the races, getting her her own place, taking her to meet his mother. The (spoiler alert!) introduction of the children in the second half makes her motivations more palatable to me. She seems less pathetically clingy to this awful man because she wants legitimacy and security for her children. I saw the plot twist about how they initially get married coming from a mile away, but thankfully the whole movie doesn't hinge on that little bit of trickery. I thought Ms. Loren was masterful at playing her character at different ages and emotional states, yet always we felt like it was the same person.
Plot summary
Domenico, a successful businessman, with an eye for the girls, begins an affair with Filumena when she is 17 years old. She becomes a prostitute, but also becomes the mistress of Domenico. He eventually sets her up in an apartment, and she works for him in his various businesses. She secretly bears three children, who are raised by nannies. Domenico starts planning to marry a young employee. Filumena tricks him into marriage by pretending to be dying. Domenico annuls the marriage. Filumena then tells him of the three children. She says that one of the children belongs to Domenico, but will not say which one is his. You start to believe that all of the children could be his, and Domenico then marries Filumena again, this time willingly.
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Not the screwball comedy I thought it would be...
lovability, any style
Has Sophia Loren ever been in a movie that wasn't to die for? Vittorio De Sica's Academy Award-nominated "Matrimonio all'italiana" ("Marriage Italian Style" in English) stars her and Marcello Mastroianni as a country girl and a businessman in a romance in post-war Naples.
This is quite a different focus on post-war Italy from De Sica's "Bicycle Thieves". That one looked at the poverty that pervaded the country at the time. Here he just lets Loren and Mastroianni be as zany as they want, while also managing to address important topics. It strikes me as the sort of movie that they had a lot of fun making (not least because of the sexy shots of Sophia Loren). Basically, it reminds us why De Sica was one of the greatest directors of all time, and why Loren and Mastroianni were some of the greatest actors of all time. If you consider yourself a film buff, then you owe it to yourself to watch this movie.
Mastroianni and Loren
Filumena Marturano (Sophia Loren) is deadly sick and is carried home by a crowd. Rich businessman Domenico Soriano (Marcello Mastroianni) is both infuriated at her and sadden by her illness. On her death bed, she asks for a priest. It's all a trick to marry the womanizing Domenico. The movie goes into flashbacks. During the war, Domenico meets 17 year old scared new prostitute Filumena at the brothel during a bombing raid. After the war, an experienced flamboyant Filumena begins a long relationship with the small time hustler Domenico. It's a torrent affair as he becomes a successful businessman.
It's a fun clash with Mastroianni and Loren. Early on, it's a little fun screwball comedy. When she reveals her three sons, it becomes an emotional struggle with Filumena. Loren is amazing and would be nominated for an Oscar. It doesn't get much better than these two at the height of their acting power.