User Reviews

This was an excellent, extremely handsome piece, a big budgeted co- production, filmed as a mini TV - series for its length, in order to give to the plot and all formidable sub plots of the text a much more and truly well deserved more articulate development,however, due to its quality and especially, to the fantastic direction of great Italian auteur, Franco Giraldi, well known for his finesse and attention to detail, this has pretty much more the feeling of a true motion picture of outstanding level, and never of a television's mini series,often garnished with an excessive, soapy storytelling, and a virtual absence of personal filmmaking! We are introduced to a gripping, and, bittersweet story, extremely focused to its female leads, and their lifestyles, and life paths, taking place in an often unforgiving, and moralistic, unequal society, dominated by men, who are here often instead hilariously manipulated by the genteel sex: if the screen adaptation was extremely well written, and produced, visually stunning, and, so splendidly photographed, easy to the eyes thanks to the always amazing standards of production design, set decorations, and period's costumes, it is mainly so successful, for the right tone, and, at the same time, for the insightful, glamorous irony of a script, which results ultimately, not only highly entertaining, but, also extremely beneficial to the means of its wildly amusing morals, and, to the comedic's consequences of the stylized segments, composing a vivid period farce, that manages to come across, both as controversial, and realistic, as it is always solid, and, ringing true, with impeccable dialogue, and, a complex, and, impressive look at the inside of the dynamic's of the 'roles', the lies, the broken dreams, and, feelings of our modern times, that, the clever outline marks with its decadent perception of the importance of relationships, always staged with an honest, and, convincing style, making, at the end, a winner of this production, also for its ability to bring back, gloriously, the old comedy of manners, with all the games, and, sophistication, but, mostly with the sharp authenticity of this excellent screenplay, an higher profile adaptation of Diego Fabbri's hit "La Bugiarda", the famous play, which had been already filmed in an earlier, but, not as satisfying version, in 1965, by Luigi Comencini, and, then starring Catherine Spaak. This late 1980's, lavish version is far superior, and improved, while beautifully presented, and, extremely well acted by an International, great cast, delivering fierce, and rad, always pitch perfect, performances. Absolutely recommended, and, to be re-discovered: there's so much junk made available and restored these days, you guess why winning filmmaking of such much higher level, and importance, it is instead so sadly difficult to find, especially if you don't live in Europe!

"Isabella la ladra" and "La bugiarda" are the same movie. Diego Fabbri's play (1956) was turned into a film (starring the drop-dead gorgeous Francesca Dellera) by Franco Giraldi, who foregrounded the satirical layer of the theatrical work, pointing out the moral hypocrisy of the Italian ruling class in the fifties. Laying as usual particular stress to the feminist/feminine content, Giraldi is able to depict Isabella as a new, emancipated woman who's striving to find her place in society. Isabella fights back men's dominance and social conformity: her lies are the armour in which she seals her body, preventing it to be either a mere sexual tool or a human incubator.