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That was an excellent one.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A good looking Italian businessman with a wandering eye acts like a complete idiot for about an hour and a half, that's about all that happens as the audience watches him go through what would now be called a mid-life crisis. The most interesting aspect of this is the cars and the 60's fashions and Ann-Margret's almost glowing hair and clothes.Meandering comedy/drama that is too much Gassman and not enough A-M. She still gets a better shake than poor Eleanor Parker who is almost completely wasted in a rather demeaning role as a doormat wife. Hard to find so if you have the chance and are a fan of either lady give it a shot but it's a minor credit for all.

Vittorio Gassman, married to Eleanor Parker and living in Italy, is innocently introduced one day to a schoolkid with pigtails and a goofy grin. Years later, that schoolgirl has become a wanton young woman. She ensnares the married man and plays him like a flute, but how serious is she? He finds himself desirous of her on-again/off-again charms, calling her on the phone in the middle of the night, getting himself in deeper and deeper. Such is the crux of this middle-age-crazy romance-that-really-isn't. It's a thoughtful Italian-made 'dramedy' that attempts to give its characters some dignity (even Ann-Margret's somewhat viporous role isn't all one shade). The low budget and occasional dubbing shouldn't put off fans of the stars. They're worth-watching here in what would make a great double-bill with A-M's similarly-titled "Kitten With A Whip". **1/2 from ****