English Title: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
Starring: Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Gianni Ridolfi
Directed by: Vittorio De Sica
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: A trilogy of stories about three different women (all played by Sophia Loren) and their relationships with men, particularly one man in each piece (all played by Marcello Mastroianni).
Featured Feline: The third segment of the film is entitled Mara and focuses on a high-priced prostitute who catches the eye of a young priest-in-training named Umberto (Gianni Ridolfi). Mara is talking with Umberto who is visiting his grandparents in the apartment opposite Mara’s. As they are talking Mara spots a long-haired orange and white cat nearby. Mara walks over and picks up the cat, calling him “Kitty”.
Mara explains that the tom cat comes to visit her every so often.
Umberto has a sensual moment when he pets the cat along with Mara.
Mara hears the door ringing and knows it is one of her steady customers, Augusto (Marcello Mastroianni). She hands the cat to Umberto.
Before she can leave, Umberto’s grandmother appears and starts to berate Mara, complaining to her about her profession and telling her to stay away from her grandson.
Mara argues back with the elderly woman. As she does so she ends up inadvertently shaking the cat and shifting it from arm to arm.
At one point the cat even gives Sophia Loren’s hand a little nip, but he seems to think she is playing with him.
Finally Mara is able to answer the door to the anxious Augusto but she is in no mood to pleasure him.
As Mara sits down to write a letter to the grandmother, we see an outdoor shot of the roof apartments. The cat is sitting between the two top floor apartments.
Later the grandmother shows up on Mara’s doorstep and starts to cry. Mara invites her in and tries to comfort her and Augusto is once again left out in the cold.
The cat sits on the bedside stand, watching Augusto. The cat then jumps down and leaves.
Some time later Augusto thinks he is finally going to get lucky and picks the cat up by the scruff and deposits him outside.
Final Mewsings: How many actors can say they got to bite Sophia Loren?
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