Il frullo del passero

"Il frullo del passero" opens with 5 minutes without dialog. This is quite often a great start for a movie, because there is a mood created like only a film can do it, not a story like in a book. The scenery is set up, while explanations are not (yet) provided. In a nutshell, Gabriele Battistini (Philippe Noiret) watches a funeral procession and later meets Silvana (Ornella Muti), the young mistress of his deceased friend Dino. She told Dino's widow (Claudine Auger) that she didn't love Dino and therefore didn't attend the funeral, but now she doesn't know where to go. Gabriele asks Silvana if he may tell her the memories of his life, basically give her a new job as a listener, sharing his secrets, and she is "una ragazza chi sapeva ascoltare" (a girl who knew how to listen). A mixture of fantasy (Adam and Eve in paradise!) and reality, past and present unfolds. I knew director Mingozzi before only for "Flavia the Heretic", certainly miles from a sweet and tasteful film like "Il frullo del passero", which is nice to watch on a quiet day off, led by two great actors.