Best movie of this year hands down!

As Good As It Gets

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Not a bad film. The other written reviews overrate it. One must surmise, due to the grammar, written by born-and-raised Italians and italo-Americans clinging to an identity, laying claim to what they view as their own Hollywood.The themes treated are, fairness, dignity, maschilismo, call to responsibility, redemption and finally feminism.The film presents you with a subject matter that has no age, treats it lightly, but doesn't trivialize or judge and has memorable one liners. No big innaccuracies. The movie itself has aged but not badly and it's appreciation relies on recognizing the filmmaking style and conventions of the era (and it's limits) and appreciating it as a Loren, Mastroiani De Sica film. (and probably the fact that it's Italian).The film doesn't show, only alludes to the squalor of prostitution and the Don using Filumena as a sex object. But rather concentrates on the offenses to her dignity and unrequited, unconditional love. Which in truth must be brought into question when she does the big reveal.The two characters, Don Domenico and Filumena are defined by how they view their relationship; resulting in one-dimensional characterization. Filumena is virtuous, hard-working, and justice seeking and The Don is a hedonist opportunist sexist playboy. That's it. The film doesn't delve into their past at all to show us how they came to be who they are and they have no familial relationships or considerations (except Don's prop-like mom) to influence their decisions. The audience can't get any insight into any of their reasoning besides what they would say to each other. Given the nature of their relationship (ego vs. ego) they shan't be direct so when they are, it feel like an unnatural exchange.The filmmakers have to move the plot and make the audience understand the two characters' mindset in limited exchanges mostly between themselves and the script and dialogue were not quite up to this task. The ending, a moralistic triumph for feminism, is unrealistic given the suppositions and there were no hints of, nor internal reason for the final turn of heart of The Don, and too many questions about Filomena's past unanswered. (Did she choose prostitution or forced into it? did she stop when The Don started maintaining her? When?).The acting is ok. I didn't see this 'amazing' chemistry. They were just acting. There was nothing; mannerisms, spontaneity, or glances, that hinted at any familiarity between the two actors even if they were friends off set.A far superior Italian comedic film is 'I Soliti Ignoti' although it doesn't have any drama but it does have a love subplot that is treated with genial comedy and naturally evolving and kinetic affair without the dreaded forced happy ending.This is the best review on this film since I have no emotional, or hereditary connection to the material, geographical area or the artists. It differs a lot form the majority of user reviews, so I may watch it again to modify or add to it If I missed something.

It seems Leri, oggi, domani is more popular and successful than Matrimonio all'Italiana. But to me, Matrimonio is a lot more powerful a story than Leri. The tenacity and resilience of the prostitute are so powerful and touching. She receives all the hardship of the situation of a prostitute for years but refuses to give up. The film is so clever in presenting the love affair from the perspectives of both the man and the woman. Compared to the toughness and strength of the woman, the man seems to be be so cowardly and irresponsible, or even despicable. Loren's performance was unbelievably powerful. The challenge of portraying Filumena through a span of decades was obvious, but she was great! She totally outshone Marcello in this film.

First of all I think the naming of the movie was rather irrelevant... "Marriage Italian Style"! Well it was about everything but Italian style marriage. They named it after the great "Divorce Italian Style" to lure audience into cinema but that's not really important. It was a descent movie despite the Very flat opening, cheesy flash backs, Not so great performances but overall probably because of chemistry between Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni it turned out to be a memorable romance drama movie which doesn't hurt to watch but not essential. I can't think it could be better than this because the potential was very limited in first place. For what it was, it was a good NOT AWARD WORTHY movie.

In Naples, in the Second World War, the wolf businessman Domenico Soriano (Marcello Mastroianni) meets the seventeen years old whore Filumena Marturano (Sophia Loren) in a brothel during an allied bombing. Two years later, in the post-war, they meet each other by chance and begin a long affair. For twenty-two years, Filumena is his mistress and administrates his shops in Naples while Domenico is traveling. When Domenico decides to marry the young cashier of his bakery, Filumena lures him as if she were near to death and he marries her. Later he annuls their matrimony, and she tells him that she has three sons that she raised secretly, one of them is his legitimate son but she does not disclose his identity. The middle-age Domenico uses the most different subterfuges trying to find which teenager might be his son. "Matrimonio all'Italiana" is a delightful and dramatic romantic comedy. Sophia Loren is awesome in the role of a loving woman and protective mother. Marcello Mastroianni is magnificent performing a wolf that sees that the time has passed and he has a son, making his middle-age crisis become an obsessive attempt to disclose the identity of his biological son in the funniest moments of this film. The direction of Vittorio De Sica is fantastic, developing the dramatic situation and the romance with touches of comedy, but never falling in the easiest way of transforming the theme in a corny melodrama. The last scene is beautiful and touching. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Matrimônio à Italiano" ("Matrimony a la Italian")