Compagna di Viaggio is a story of an aimless, rootless, orphaned 19 year-old girl, Cora, who works odd jobs and sleeps at various friends' homes. One of her jobs is walking the dog of Ada, a woman married to a journalist.
One day, Ada tells her that her father, a recently retired professor, has begun to show signs of dementia, and will wander throughout the city. She offers to pay Cora to shadow him, supposedly unseen, so he won't get lost. Cora agrees, but to her chagrin on the second day he boards a train and starts travelling through Italy, rather than just wandering the streets of Rome.
There are some subplots, involving Cora's brother, Ada's husband's infidelity, and Cora's depression, which seem more or less random since they are not fully developed nor resolved.
The film is well acted, and while there are some very nice scenes, some of which are quite poignant, it really doesn't add up to a compelling story. The ending suggests that the writer couldn't figure out where to go, so he created something somewhat artificial that really doesn't answer the questions which are raised along the way.
It's watchable, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. Despite the lovely scenery and fine acting, I'd only give it 6 out of 10.
