Marriage Italian Style Matrimonio All'Italiana - Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2014 Film Review

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Posted 2014-10-07 by Jen ⇒ follow

Sun 12 Oct 2014

Marriage Italian Style (Matrimonio All'Italiana) - Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2014 Film Review

A Vittorio De Sica film made in 1964 Marriage Italian Style was an Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film and best actress. It's hard to believe that the film was sold to the American distributors on the basis of the revealing costumes worn by Sophia Loren. This film is rich and warm, over the top and emotional (it did have me in tears a couple of times *sniffle*). Watching it again today (a lover of foreign films and the classics, I had the DVD) in light of the fact that it's the current Italian Film Festival 's Closing Night movie (12 October 2014) at the Palace Cinemas ; for me it has not lost its appeal at all.

The characters are strong and vibrant and I enjoyed watching the street scenes of 50 years ago. The beautiful Sophia Loren strutting down the street was a sight to behold and it's specifically set in Naples which was known to be quite an unusual place filled with highly individual people where bizarre relationships were not unusual. Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren were a popular pairing and they went on to make many movies together. This was their 2nd film with each other, the first being Yesterday Today and Tomorrow .

A handsome debonaire businessman and playboy, Domenico Soriano (Marcello Mastroianna) meets 17 year old Filumena Marturano (Sophia Loren) in a Neapolitan brothel during a bomb raid in WWII. Forced into the streets by war her love for Domenico over the years is unshakable. Since the day they met they have been lovers on and off over a 22 year period. However, ever the playboy and away for long periods at a time on business, Domenico has no plans to settle down. Much as he adores Filumena, he's always made it quite clear she was not really a part of his world in so many little ways.

He treats her like a mistress and rescues her from the brothel (after she has voiced her discontent) and sets her up in her own home. Over time she is heavily involved in taking care of his business, including taking care of his mother. She is however still seen by him as his employee cum domestic by day and his lover by night. It still however does not bring her any closer to the partnership she craves, to be his wife. One day she is brought back to her home looking very ill. Domenico now 50 and on the verge of his marriage to a much younger 22 year old is called to attend what appears to be a very sick Filumena on her death bed. As she is placed on the bed she calls out his name and asks for a priest which she believes she needs more than she does a doctor. Waiting for the doctor Domenico casts his mind back to the beginning, thinking about their life together.

Filumena Marturano has always wanted the respectability of marriage and to be married to the love of her life. Will she finally manage to get her way and at what cost? Is the last card she has up her sleeve going to get her what she wants? Domenico Soriano has always managed to have his cake and eat it too. Will he ever change? Will this turn of events finally make him realise how much Filumena really means to him?

To those of you making it to the Closing Night of the IFF (Italian Film Festival) to see this gem of a movie, I hope you enjoy the richness of the film. It truly is an old treasure. Apart from the lead actors there is the supporting cast, namely Alfredo the Valet (Aldo Puglisi) who is like an adoring puppy ready to marry Filumena at the drop of a hat and Rosalie (Tecla Scarano) the hand clasping, head shaking Maid. There is also a small appearance by Pia Lindström , eldest daughter of famed screen actress Ingrid Bergman . This is the movie that launched her motion picture career even though she only had a small role as a cashier working in a cafe owned by Mastroianni.

Being a 50 year old film, I could not really find a trailer as such, but I felt the video below captured the essence of the film beautifully. I give this movie a 7.5 out of 10