Italian director Alessandro Blasetti had already paired Sophia Loren & Marcello Mastroianni in a couple of films when they squeezed in this third, made on the cusp of Loren’s upcoming Hollywood debut. Maybe that explains why this one feels like a rush job.* Mastroianni’s something of a free-lance paparazzo (the term not actually in use before another Mastroianni film, LA DOLCE VITA/’60) who happens to snap a shot of Loren fixing her stockings after grabbing a ride with an all too grabby driver. And when the sexy pic lands on a Rome magazine cover, her life goes topsy-turvy with offers for representation, publicity shoots, modeling, movie roles . . . the works. Does Marcello stand a chance against a smooth operator like Charles Boyer, a classy agent rep who happens to be a Count.* (Secret: he also happens to be married.) That’s about it for plot, but the stars are good company, Blasetti has a way with big party scenes (check out the Maria Callas lookalike at Loren’s first fancy reception), and also has an amusing way of tackling Sophia as a character by treating her as if she weren’t on location, but was the location. ‘Where are we shooting tomorrow? Oh, yeah, Loren . . . bring all the lenses.’ Inconsequential, but fun.
DOUBLE-BILL: *One of the previous films, TOO BAD SHE’S BAD/’54, with taxi-driver Marcello joining Sophia’s trio of grifters just to be near her, is darn good. OR: To see Blasetti at his best, try the heartfelt pre-Neo-Realist FOUR STEP IN THE CLOUDS/4 PASSI FRA LE NUVOLE/’42 which was remade to reasonable effect as A WALK IN THE CLOUDS/’95 with Keanu Reeves & Anthony Quinn.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *In standard Cinecittà Studio style, all dialogue dubbed/looped in post-production, largely with their own voices. But alas, not Boyer so we don’t get to hear if his Italian is as indecipherable as his English.
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