Part neo-neo-realism, part melodrama, this impressed me more than a lot of De Sica's other stuff, but didn't totally win me over. He gives the protagonist the perfect guy to fall in love with, in contrast to her horribly boorish husband. How can we possibly feel conflicted about Carla's adulterous longings when the deck is so clearly stacked? However, the social/class issues are much more nuanced, and watching Carla interact with the upper crust provide the film's most rewarding moments.