AllMovie

Rarely has any actor, and especially one with a filmography as rich as that of Marcello Mastroianni (1923-1996), been given such a lavish screen biography. But then, director Anna Maria Tató was Mastroianni's companion for the last 22 years of his life, and she clearly saw this film, made for Italian television, as a labor of love. Mastroianni is filmed speaking to the camera in a variety of settings, usually outdoors in picturesque settings, and dozens of film clips enhance his memories of a long career in films. He touches on his love for the stage; his relationships with director Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Marco Ferreri; his disdain for the moniker "Latin Lover" that got attached to him after the success of his breakthrough film, La Dolce Vita; his appreciation for his favorite cities: New York City, Paris, Rome, and above all, Naples; and his thoughts on acting. Among the films generously excerpted are The Organizer, White Nights, I Don't Want to Talk About It, Bell' Antonio, Divorce Italian Style, Dark Eyes, A Special Day, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, La Nuit de Varennes, Henry IV, La Grande Bouffe, Bye Bye Monkey, Intervista, and The Tenth Victim. In the film's penultimate scene, Mastroianni is shown celebrating his 72nd birthday, only a year before his death. The film is also available in a 98-minute version.