User reviews

This wonderful movie was directed by Lina Wertmuller from the great Neapolitan comedy-drama by Eduardo De Filippo. It stars Sophia Loren, Luca De Filippo (son of the playwright-actor), Alessandra Mussolini (Loren's niece and granddaughter of the dictator), Luciano De Crescenzo. It may be the best film ever made by Loren after TWO WOMEN. It is also one of Wertmuller's best films because, for once, she puts aside her annoying eccentricities and becomes a servant to the material, which is first-rate. Over the years many directors wanted to translate this story of marital jealousy, including Martin Scorsese, Paul Marursky, and Robert Altman. Ultimately it fell into the hands of Wertmuller, a Neapolitan herself, whose direction captures the ebb and flow of turbulent emotions centering on a couple caught in the web of love and jealousy. Set in a village near Naples (actually Pozzuoli, where Loren grew up), the main action is centered on a three-day period surrounding an Italian family ritual of Sunday dinner where everyone awaits the traditional ragu' sauce. Small misunderstandings set off a chain of dramatic events as the story of a husband and wife, Peppino and Rosa, unfolds. The husband's jealousy is ignited when Rosa invites Peppino's imagined rival, Janiello, and his wife to come to spend the weekend at their home...and the emotional fireworks begin! A famous production of De Filippo's original play was directed by Franco Zeffirelli at the National Theatre in London with Laurence Olivier as the Othello-like husband.

Beautiful movie about the making of the Napolitan "ragu", centerpiece of the weekend which takes from Friday (shopping) through Saturday (talking about it)to Sunday (eating it). A feist for the eyes that will make you hungry for "ragu", for Italy, for Sophia Loren and for Napoli...if you get a chance to see this rare gem, don't miss it...and somebody, please release this movie on dvd.