BELLE DU JOUR/’67 meets IRMA LA DOUCE/’63 in this Italian curiosity from Sidney Lumet; less forgotten than purposefully lost. Newlywed lawyer suspects gorgeous wife is spending the occasional afternoon as the priciest lay in town. Naturally, he wants to uncover the truth. Tail her? Hire a private investigator? Maybe bring a photo to Madame? (She’s a fashion model, pictures everywhere.) Nope. Instead, call to book the next ‘appointment’ then wait by the door to play your own version of The Lady or The Tiger. Cost? A measly £100,000. Yikes! With Anouk Aimée, still unthawed from A MAN AND A WOMAN/’66 as the possibly wayward wife and Omar Sharif, still nonplussed post-Streisand’s FUNNY GIRL/’68, each pushing 40 yet acting like awkward virgins on a first date. Later, wandering together thru fashionably ‘distressed’ Rome locations or waiting in stylish interiors (more than you’ll find in all other Lumet films combined), under the eye of Carlo Di Palma’s ochre-tones lensing. But no pick up of Stateside theatrical distribution rights. Lumet at the time in a severe career slump not broken till SERPICO/’73. Yet there’s real missed potential here. Only problem? It’s potential for comedy. Imagine Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLane (the stars of IRMA) here. Even better, Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren (of THE MILLIONAIRESS) or Sellers with PINK PANTHER partner Capucine. For that matter, might as well swap out Lumet for PANTHER’s Blake Edwards.* Assuming Luis Buñuel wasn’t available.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *You’ll find the same meet-cute in Blake Edwards’ 10. There, Dudley Moore, distracted by Bo Derek’s bridal beauty, hits the rear end of the car in front of him.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: Any of the films mentioned here with the exception of IRMA LA DOUCE, an enormous success in its day. Pretty bad then, downright awful now; other than the miraculous sets & art direction of Alexandre Trauner.
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