Monella

I was drawn to this film by the movie poster. I expected a comedy but did not find much to laugh about. Anna Ammirati is Lola, a young woman who is seen at the opening riding a bicycle while bent over and flashing her panties at the mostly appreciative bystanders. She is engaged to be married within a few days and wishes to lose her virginity before the wedding. Her partner refuses to engage in premarital coitus, leading to a few scenes of attempts by Lola to seduce the man. Anna is frequently nude and has an undeniable allure, but the film is just not funny. The sex scenes are surprisingly graphic for a supposedly mainstream movie. The acting is not at a high level and the only saving grace is an excellent soundtrack.

Cute but not too exciting. I haven't seen any other Tinto films, but based on this one I probably wouldn't go out of my way to see any others. It was mildly interesting to watch but in the end rather unsatisfying. Just nothing to sink your teeth into as a film. The plot was weak and at times confusing and Lola just came across as a spoiled little girl (probably intentional). But there was nothing to make me understand why her "boyfriend" was even interested in her, other than her good looks. The camera work was interesting and creative and there are lots of great shots of Lola in various states of undress which is probably the only reason I kept watching it - hey, I'm a guy, what can I say? But, to be honest, its mostly like watching a TV sitcom - light entertainment to pass the time.

Monella is wonderful erotic comedy about a couple getting married. The story takes place in northern Italy in the 1950´s. Lola and Masetto is about to get married. Masetto wants to keep Lola as a virgin until they are married. But Lola is impatient to remain in chastity until the wedding night. She wants to be sure that Masetto is a good lover, before she commits herself into marriage. She does everything to trick Masetto into breaking the moral tradition. Anna Ammirati is doing a wonderful interpretation of Lolas character. It´s easy to fall for her charm. The film is also aesthetical with the beautiful environment, the heat between the characters, and the camera light on Anna Ammiratis irresistible body.

The scoring, of course, reflects my own personal taste but I do feel that the film almost completely successful in what it sets out to achieve. It's a mischievous, amusing, jolly sexy romp that doesn't miss out on taking a few sideswipes at Italian society (affectionately of course!). If there were a poll to find the ten best female bum shots in cinema, I am pretty certain this film would occupy all ten slots, and half of them probably just in the swirling, joyful, abandoned opening cycling sequence. Lola grins and squeaks with delight as she races along bum in the air to the astonishment, amusement and enjoyment of all. The older man (father?) with Lola scenes, made one a little uncomfortable and similarly the peeping tom and the lost virginity but these seemed to fit within the whole and probably say as much about Catholicism in Italy than Mr Brass in particular. A super sunny sexy delight!

This was the first film I've ever seen by Brass, and honestly, it was quite disappointing. Instead of feeling empathy for the protagonist, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with her erratic behavior and constant need for male attention. If the roles had been reversed-if she were a man and the baker a woman-the plot would likely spark serious debate over its problematic implications.

And the dishonesty-Lola says so many lies! It felt excessive and boring, with what seemed like an hour and a half of screen time focused almost entirely on Lola's rear. While he is technically the lead, the film fixates on her in a way that adds little to the narrative. If you're considering watching it, know that it's essentially two hours of shallow, soft-core storytelling. Personally, I regret the time I spent on it and would suggest investing those two hours into something more meaningful.