The Lonely Woman (1973) Poster

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5/10
Offbeat melodrama dealing with the complex relationships between mother and son and about juvenile delinquency
ma-cortes3 September 2018
Based on José Antonio García Blázquez's novel of the same name, this melodrama tells the story of Jacinto Martín del Río, AKA 'Jaci', Renaud Verley , a rebel womanizer . He is a fatherless lad who feels a deep love almost unhealthy for his mom , as he has Edipo's complex. His mummy called Teresa : Danielle Darrieux is a bourgeois widow with dark purports and unclear virtues . Anyway, that will not be an obstacle for him to notice other young girls or old women . His charming and sympathy result to be the main weapons which helps him , from time to time, to get some cash from women , such as the upper-class photographer Naty : Gina Lollobrigida , the dancer África : Concha Velasco and the thief Elaine : Susan Hampshire . But things get worse when the mother's lover , Richard Leighton : Giacomo Rossi Stuart goes to live at home.

Based on a novel written by Garcia Blázquez and shot in colorful and glimmering style . This is a slow and boring , at times , as well as dramatic story and one of several movies dealing with youth delinquency in Spain during the seventies , they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain . A passable look at young life , love and friendship in the isolated side let the story flow efficiently , but being middlingly made . The movie deals with various thorny issues such as : older woman younger man sex , mother son relationship with incest overtones , obsession , generational gap , jealousy , contra-culture and youth delinquency . Director Francisco Rovira Beleta gives a pretty nice filmmaking and attempting to explain the hard motivations , violent evolution and unexpected final conclusion .The director creates a sort of peculiar social habits in the 70s , including Hippie world , by tackling the juvenile life through a group of amoral and rebel boys . These characters choose to live dangerously rather than work in deadend jobs , it is made with a clear intention of social , showing some bizarre roles . Renaud Verley gives a so-so acting as Jaci , an attractive and sympathetic young who lives with his widow mother Teresa, for whom he professes a sickly love . Danielle Darrieux is better than Verley as Teresa , Jaci's mother , who lives with concern of lack of preparation of him to face his future . Support cast is frankly excellent , though really wasted , such as : Susan Hampshire , Concha Velasco , Maribel Martín , Javier Loyola ,Eduardo Fajardo ,Giacomo Rossi Stuart, José Yepes , Monserrat Julio , Gustavo Re and many others .

Filmed in atmospheric color , in and around Barcelona , Madrid and Ibiza , with some great locations . Being photographed by the prestigious Michael Kelber , who filmed important movies such as : French Can Can , Lulu , Lemmy Caution , Sangre en Ruedo ,El Litri , Scandal , Rogelia , Mata-Hari , El capitán Jones , Secrets d'alcove , among others . Shot in multiple locations as Plaza España, Plaça Reial, Barcelona, Drugstore Liceo, Las Ramblas, Barcelona Parque del Retiro, Plaza Mayor, Madrid, and Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain . It is an internacional co-production among Spain , France , Italy with great cast . This Euro-pudding motion picture was regularly directed by Francisco Rovira Beleta , but it failed at boxoffice , and the U.S. release was 1977 by Independent International; it would turn up in drive-ins for years . Rovira was a splendid director and writer , especially known for Los Tarantos (1963), El Amor Brujo (1967) and Los Atracadores (1962). At his beginnings Rovira collaborated with the powerful production company CIFESA as assistant director to Luis Lucía and Juan Orduña . His film debut was ¨Doce Horas De Vida¨(1948) , and went on ¨39 Cartas Amor¨ and ¨Luna De Sangre¨ based on Fernan Caballero novel . His best movies were the prestigious neo-realist trilogy formed by ¨Hay Un Camino a La Derecha¨, ¨Expreso Andalucia¨ about the famous train robbery and this ¨Los Atracadores¨ (61) . His greatest successes were ¨Tarantos¨(1963) about Alfredo Mañas story and ¨Amor Brujo¨ based on Manuel De Falla music , both of them had nomination to American Academy Award . Subsequently , he directed some flops as ¨La Dama De Alba¨ about Alejandro Casona , ¨La Larga Agonía De Peces Fuera de Agua¨ realized in ¨Escuela Barcelona¨ style and ¨No Encontré Rosas Para Mi Madre¨ . Later on , Francisco made the historical production ¨La Espada Negra¨ (76) about R.R.C.C. and his last one was a Noir Film titled ¨Crónica Sentimental En Rojo¨ .
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1/10
Feh!
eye324 April 2000
Whoever gave this it's U.S. title "The Lonely Woman" should do time. Gina Lollobrigida plays a rich, lonely woman but it's only a minor part that doesn't go anywhere.

The same can be said for all the parts, as well as the movie in general. From what I could gather it's about a young male model-cum-hustler juggling "relationships" (such as they're portrayed) with three women while looking for the big score, a rich girl who will keep him afloat for life. But no relationship is developed, no background examined, no motivation explained. He just bounces from woman to woman like a pinball and ends up marrying an emotionally stunted girl who plays with dolls. And we don't even see her until the final act.

This is a textbook case of "first-draft" cinema, a director who was interested more in shooting than in getting a story straight. That it was shot in Spain in 1972 and released in 1976 may have had to do with Franco's strict censorship - no stupidity allowed!

The only interesting bits are two cases of casting: Lollobrigida was perfect in her part as a beautiful, middle-aged, wealthy, sad wife looking for a fling as an aspirin against the boredom. If nothing else, she certainly knows how to weild a camera.

The other was Susan Hampshire, having fun cast completely against her usual type: she usually plays Her Ladyship of A By-Gone Era but here she played a hang-loose modern girl who paints forged Picassos and swears like a sailor (I counted two "fucks", one "shmuck" and one "prick.") Maybe this was Her Ladyship's 1972 descendant.

In both cases they performed like the veteran troopers, but one can only imagine the horrors they had in mind for their agents when they realized just how rotten this script turned out to be. Now THAT'S acting!
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