Clelia Matania Movies

Based on a play by Terence Rattigan, The Nelson Affair recounts an infamous 18th century British scandal in slow-paced, talk-heavy fashion. Lord Nelson (Peter Finch) returns from battling Napoleon's navy and takes some well-deserved leave. He immediately picks up where he left off with Lady Hamilton (Glenda Jackson), blatantly carrying on their affair in public view of his family and beleagured wife (Margaret Leighton). Hamilton herself is under strain due to her advancing age and Nelson's unflagging need to return to sea. The picture plays more like a filmed theater piece than an epic historical romance (the famous Battle Of Trafalgar was filmed indoors and utilized stock footage), but Finch and Jackson turn in their usual excellent performances. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Claude Chabrol, the French filmmaker known for his masterful explorations of crime, suspense, and the darker sides of human nature, directed this drama about a man forced to come to terms with his double life. Charles Masson (Michel Bouquet) is a successful ad man with a loving wife, Helene (Stephane Audran), two children, and a close friendship with his next-door neighbor Francois Tellier (Francois Perier), an architect who designed both of their houses. However, Charles has a secret -- he's been having an affair with Francois's wife Laura (Anna Douking). Charles and Laura share an enthusiasm for sadomasochism, and one night while mock-strangling her during lovemaking, Charles goes too far and kills Laura. At first, Charles seems to get away Scot free -- he's not considered a suspect, and while someone did see him leave the scene of the crime, that person declines to inform the police. But Charles cannot escape his conscience, and he eventually feels compelled to tell both Helene and Francois, neither of whom react with any particular shock or dismay. Juste Avant La Nuit was adapted by Chabrol from a novel of the same name by Edouard Atiyah. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Originally released in Great Britain as The Battle of the Villa Fiorita, this film is not a wartime epic but a cozy domestic drama. Maureen O'Hara plays an American woman who leaves British husband Richard Todd, taking their two children along. While vacationing on the Riviera, Maureen falls in love with Rosanno Brazzi, a widowed Italian concert pianist who also has children. None of the kids are keen on this continental romance, and do their best to break up the affair. One of the children is played by pre-teen Olivia Hussey, several years before her star turn in Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet. Consistently lovely to look at, Affair at Villa Fiorita is not for those who prefer surprises in their film fare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed in 1962 but not released in the US until 1966 (with 20 of its 108 minutes removed), Conquered City is an all-star World War II drama financed in Italy and filmed in Greece. An Athens hotel, full of refugees and expatriates of all nationalities, is captured by Allied troops in the closing days of the War. British Major David Niven has been ordered to prevent a cache of weapons hidden in the hotel from falling into the hands of renegade troops. He cannot allow himself to trust anyone--not even the most innocent-looking (or attractive) of guests. Originally titled La Citta Prigioniera. Conquered City was released in English-speaking countries outside the U.S. as Captive City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this Italian costume epic chronicles the exploits of an innocent maiden who lives near Thebes. She is in love with a sculptor but cannot marry him when a high-ranking reveals that he is her father and that she was betrothed at birth to a mentally ill prince slated to soon take over the country. The father then hands down a death sentence for the sculptor, but fortunately he escapes to find the prince, who happens to be a friend of his. There he asks for and is granted a pardon. Time passes and the prince becomes king; meanwhile, the maiden undergoes a ritual purification and changes her name to "Nefertiti." The sculptor is now with a gypsy. Unfortunately, he is again imprisoned by Nefertiti's father who threatens to kill him unless his unwilling daughter marries the new king. After the wedding, the sculptor does a bust of his beloved, and she tells him that while she still loves him, she fears for her husband's mind if she leaves. Her manipulative father is well aware of the king's instability and is hoping that eventually he will have all the power. To get closer, he kills the king's best friend, a rival priest, which pushes the king to suicide. Suddenly Nefertiti becomes queen. With the sculptor's help, she rallies the army and wins her power. In the end, the jilted gypsy gets her revenge by killing Nefertiti's father. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this occasionally amusing frolic, Gina Lollobrigida plays a sexy widow who returns to Italy from New York following the death of her husband. Her wealth and good looks entice all the men in her small village except for the one she really wants, the town blacksmith (Dale Robertson). Giuseppe Rotunno's warm cinematography and the irresistible Lollobrigida make this one worth seeing, while the screenplay (by Ettore Margadonna, Luciana Corda, and Joseph Stefano) manages to be clever without being smirky. Look for a funny bit by Vittorio DeSica, who supervised some scenes, as a loquacious priest. This film is also known as both Anna of Brooklyn and Fast and Sexy. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Marlene Dietrich and Vittorio De Sica grace this comical yet dramatic Italian tale of a tumultuous love affair between two compulsive gamblers who meet in Monte Carlo. Though both are down on their luck, they dress affluently and that is what attracts them to each other. Romantic sparks fly until they learn the truth about each other. This leads Dietrich to begin an affair with a rich American widower. His teenage daughter falls for De Sica but he feels himself too old for her and rejects her. Eventually Dietrich and the American decide to marry, but before the wedding takes place, De Sica has a major winning streak. But being an addict, he does not know when to stop and begins losing again. Fortunately, his valet intervenes by knocking him unconscious. Later, when he awakens, De Sica vows that he will never gamble again and prepares to go home to his native Naples. When Dietrich learns this she is distraught and realizing she cannot marry the Yankee, tells him the truth about her feelings for De Sica thereby freeing herself to follow him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

War and Peace is a commendable attempt to boil down Tolstoy's long, difficult novel into 208 minutes' screen time. In recreating the the social and personal upheavals attending Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia, $6 million was shelled out by coproducers Carlo Ponti, Dino de Laurentiis and Paramount Pictures. Some of the panoramic battle sequences are so expertly handled by second-unit director Mario Soldati that they appear to be Technicolor-and-Vistavision newsreel footage of the actual events. Still, the film falters dramatically, principally because of a lumpy script and King Vidor's surprisingly lustreless direction. In addition, the casting is wildly consistent: for example, while Audrey Hepburn is flawless as Natasha, Henry Fonda is far too "Yankeefied" as the introspective Pierre. Proving too long and unwieldy for most audiences, War and Peace died at the box office; far more successful was the epic, scrupulously faithful 1968 version, filmed in the Soviet Union. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

La Pensionnaire was released in English-speaking countries as The Boarder. The title character is a good-hearted prostitute named Joy, played by Martine Carol. Unable to locate a cheap hotel room at a swank seaside resort, Joy settles for the only available space, which happens to be in a high-class hotel. Despite her sordid profession, the girl is befriended and protected by the hotel staff, who pay for her lodgings. Not so charitable is the local police chief, though he agrees to allow Joy to stick around if she promises to reform. This proves difficult when Joy innocently finds herself in the middle of several domestic brouhahas. La Pensionnaire might make an amusing double feature with the 1990 Julia Roberts film Pretty Woman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anni Facili (The Early Years) stars Nino Taranto as Sicilian professor De Francesco. On behalf of a friend who has developed a revolutionary new medicine, the professor seeks out government approval for the formula in Rome. Miles and miles of red tape later, De Francesco is virtually back where he started. The film not only pokes fun at postwar Italian bureaucracy, but also takes a few swipes at the neofascist movement (hardly a laughing matter in real life). Produced by Carlo Ponti and Dino de Laurentiis, Anni Facili was released outside Europe by Paramount Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gina Lollobridgida was a virtual unknown in the U.S. when Campagne a Martello was released to English-speaking countries in 1950. Critics said then what they'd say later: as an actress, Gina was very pretty. The story concerns an Italian prostitute named Agostina (Lollobridgida) who is left without a steady source of income when the American GIs go home. Returning to her own island village, Agostina is secure in the knowledge that she has a sizeable financial nest egg waiting for her. Alas, the money has been rerouted to a home for orphaned and illegitimate children. Incurring the wrath of the locals by demanding that her money be returned, Agostina eventually sees the error of her ways. Director Luigi Zampa shot this film at the same time as an English version with different actors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, two young truckers leave a crooked company to form their own. Their former boss sends his charming daughter and several goons to bring them back, and almost succeeds, but the truckers make a success of themselves by rescuing miners trapped in a flooded mine. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide