Synopsis:
A middle-aged man (Marcello Mastroianni) about to get married reflects back on how he met his dying mistress (Sophia Loren), who was once a prostitute — but he soon learns there is more to come in the story of their life together.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Flashback Films
• Italian Films
• Marcello Mastroianni Films
• Prostitutes and Gigolos
• Romantic Comedy
• Sophia Loren Films
• Strong Females
• Suffering Mothers
• Vittorio De Sica Films

Review:
Sophia Loren’s third film for Vittorio De Sica — after Two Women (1960) and Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1963) — was her seventh out of fourteen made with her beloved co-star Marcello Mastroianni, and earned her a second Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. Unfortunately, the storyline hasn’t aged well, coming across like a dated romantic melodrama without the much-needed dark humor or social critique of its similarly named counterpart, Pietro Germi’s Divorce, Italian Style (1961). With that said, Loren is a dominant and glowing force throughout, from her earliest moments striding down the street with confidence:

… to later sequences when she becomes a fierce Mama Bear at all costs, wanting nothing more than to provide for her kids.

Unfortunately, Mastroianni is a real pill throughout, making it hard for us to root for their relationship in any way:

… and the narrative tension in the final section regarding Loren’s kids is forced at best. This one is primarily worth a look simply for Loren’s Oscar-nominated performance.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Sophia Loren as Filomena
  
• Roberto Gerardi’s cinematography
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review (spoiler alert)
• Time Out Capsule Review
• Once Upon a Screen Review