La bella di Lodi

This film begins with an attractive woman named "Roberta" (Stefania Sandrelli) lying on a beach when a young man, "Franco Garbagnati" (Angel Aranda), appears and attempts to steal some jewelry from her handbag while her eyes are closed. At least, that is what he believes at that moment because, as soon as he touches an expensive bracelet, he becomes aware that she is watching him. Quickly regaining his composure, he strikes up a conversation and even invites her to a racing competition he has entered that afternoon. One thing leads to another, and they eventually make love that very evening. Although he develops feelings for her afterward, she considers their dalliance nothing more than a one-night stand. That being said, due to her extreme wealth, she grows suspicious when he calls her the next day wanting to meet again, as she believes he may be trying to blackmail her for financial gain. To address that, after agreeing to a meeting, she uses her influence to have him arrested by the local police and subsequently sent to prison. Months pass, and upon deeper reflection, her conscience overcomes her, leading to their reunion after he is eventually released. Only then does she realize that, no matter how much she wants to control things, he is much more independent than anyone she has ever met. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a relatively slow-paced film, which was difficult to follow at times due to the manner in which the director (Mario Missiroli) chose to omit certain scenes that could have made things easier to understand. Likewise, although it's billed as a comedy, there really wasn't much humor to be found here either. At least, I didn't see that much of it. To be sure, having a beautiful actress like Stefania Sandrelli definitely enhanced the local scenery, but even so, her presence alone wasn't quite enough for me to rate this film any higher than I have. Slightly below average.

Italian films are not boring. Italian movies are very good. But, this one can easily compete for the most boring Italian film. Nothing happens in an hour and twenty minutes. Sandrelli is young, beautiful, but it's her worst movie. Mario Missiroli's first film as a director. He didn't do much after that. A star, just for the sake of Stefania Sandrelli, who is only 17 years old but has moments and scenes when she proves that she was much more mature mentally.

A romantic drama about a young woman from a wealthy family (Stefania Sandrelli) who falls in love with a mechanic (Ángel Aranda), whom she meets at the beach.

Although I recognize that the film has a fast pace, that Stefania Sandrelli is a captivating actress, that the wedding party in the family mansion has a clear purpose of social criticism, in an exposition of bourgeois decadence, and even that the character of the grandmother, the old matriarch of the family, whom Roberta will inevitably succeed, given her initiative and vigor, is of an unquestionable density, I have to conclude that all of this is not enough.

In the end, the inevitable feeling is of waste, of banality.

A film for fetishists of the beautiful Stefania Sandrelli.