A movie that switches about half way through from b/w to color photography, and should have special appeal to aficionados of classic Italian cinema. Old Cinecittą was aways self-referential, but here there is a veritable overload of tributes to the likes of Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti, Antonioni and their writers and actors, plus cameos by Fellini and Mastroianni. Otherwise the substance is nothing too original, but certainly lively, well-acted bittersweet comedy.

#705

Beautifully playful look at three decades in the lives of three men and the woman they all desire. Scola has a lot of fun with the medium, breaking the fourth wall, playing with time, exposing the interior lives of the characters, and loading up on references to classic cinema. Besides being a terrific love letter to movies, it's also a heartfelt character study, with some dashes of political commentary. The only real downside is the score, which comes off a bit limp and twee.

# 734