Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

frankwiener While Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren may rate among the most visually appealing couples in cinematic history, the sad and profound beauty that they create here is far, far deeper than that of superficial appearance alone. Mastroianni is outstanding as Gabriele, a completely alienated and repressed gay man at the height of fascism's grip on Italian society during World War II. Loren plays Antonietta, an equally stifled housewife and mother of six who has been humiliated by her unfaithful and disrespectful husband. They live directly across from each other in a large apartment building in Rome, and they meet by chance when their neighbors depart to attend political rallies all over the city on Hitler's first visit to the Italian capital.Even as a tired, frumpy housewife who had been drained of life itself, Sophia radiates a quiet, subdued beauty that could only flow from her and no one else. Even the routine, mundane task of clearing off a kitchen table is captivating when Sophia Loren is doing it. What makes "A Special Day" so "special" is not only Sophia but Marcello in an Oscar nominated role and the superb direction by Ettore Scola. As the very intense, human relationship between two lost souls continues to develop through the "special day", the mechanized, military marches of Nazi Germany and the deafening roar of the adoring mobs in response to Hitler's public appearance assault the ears from the building caretaker's radio, providing a stark contrast of two opposing but powerful forces in the world, love and hate. As I listened to the steady, harsh brutality of the German marches and the enthusiastic reaction by the Italian multitude, I was even more startled by the alliance of these two nations, Germany and Italy, with cultural roots that seemed as far apart from one another as any two on the face of the earth. The unlikelihood of Gabriele's and Antonietta's unique friendship paled in comparison to the oddity of a pact between the likes of Italy and Germany, an alliance that was an indisputable fact of history, as difficult as that may be to believe.Although the film ends tragically, the beauty and strength of Gabriele's and Antonietta's complex relationship triumphs in its own, extraordinary way. Even in the darkness and the gloom, I was somehow left with a glimmer of hope for the pathetic, pitiful human race. I don't know exactly why.

MartinHafer "A Special Day" is not a film for everyone. While it is very well made and the acting is terrific, it's style and subject matter make it a movie that the average person would probably not enjoy.This film is set in Rome during the first meeting between Mussolini and Hitler. The city is abuzz and fascists are excited to see the treaty between the two formidable nations. However, while this is a bit, global event, the film is very small--confined to a couple apartments nearby and involving two strangers who quickly become friends. While Antoinetta (Sophia Loren) stays home and keeps house while her husband and children attend a fascist rally, she is left alone--with little to actually do. When her pet bird escapes and flies towards another apartment, she gives chase and meets Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni). The two hit it off--and the rest of the film consists of the two talking....and talking. Some of it is very interesting (such as when Antoinetta falls in love with Gabriele--only to learn he is gay) and much of it seems like small talk among friends. As for me, I liked it for the acting, but even with my high tolerance for this sort of film, it did get old after a while. Additionally, the film's lousy print (it appears to have either been copied from a degraded videotape or directly from TV) makes it a rather unrewarding viewing experience. Not bad--just not all enjoyable.

FilmCriticLalitRao Una giornata particolare is a film which has made brilliant use of closed spaces.It is in these dull,empty spaces that the audience sees the emotional turmoil and boisterous outbursts of Ettore Scola's two leading characters.Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren play two frustrated individuals who decide to come together for some brief moments of their listless lives.It is the element of sadness associated with the narrative that makes us believe that people will take sides with characters close to them.All men would really feel sorry for Sophia Loren's character.All women would surely cry their hearts out at Marcello Mastroianni's existential plight.Disguised sexualities are also one of the key issues of this somber,poignant film.Most of the characters grapple with issues related to their own sexualities.Una giornata particolare cannot be termed as a pro gay film although it has been nicely depicted that a homosexual chap mixes well with women.This is a film for which Italian director Ettore Scola has crafted a fairly good mix of fact and fiction.His idea is to show how the arrival of Hitler changed destinies of ordinary Italian folks.A word about the courageous personnage played magnificently by great Marcello Mastroianni.He acts as a real man who does not beg for pity.He happily accepts his fate and readies himself to face the worst time of his short yet meaningful life.A true masterpiece of cinema !!!

Camera Obscura A SPECIAL DAY (Ettore Scola - Italy/Canada 1977).Every once in a while, you come across a film that really touches a nerve. This one offers a very simple premise, almost flawlessly executed in every way and incredibly moving at the same time. It's surprising Ettore Scola's "Una giornate particulare" is relatively unheralded, even hated by some critics. Time Out calls it 'rubbish' and Leonard Maltin, somewhat milder, 'pleasant but trifling.' I disagree, not only because this film is deeply moving, but within its simple story it shows us more insights about daily life in fascist Italy than most films I've seen. The cinematography is distinctly unflashy, even a bit bland, and the storyline straightforward, which might explain the film's relative unpopularity. Considering late '70s audiences weren't exactly spoiled with great Italian films, it's even stranger this one didn't really catch on with the critics.The film begins with a ten-minute collage of archive footage from Hitler's visit to Italy on may 8th 1938. Set against this background, we first meet Antonietta (Loren), a lonely, love-ridden housewife with six children in a roman apartment building. One day, when her Beo escapes, she meets her neighbour Gabriele (Mastroianni), who seems to be only one in the building not attending the ceremonies. He is well-mannered, cultured and soon she is attracted to him. During the whole film, we hear the fascist rally from the radio of the concierge hollering through the courtyard. Scola playfully uses the camera to make us part of the proceedings. After the opening scene, the camera swanks across the courtyard of the modernist (hypermodern at the time) apartment block, seemingly searching for our main characters, whom we haven't met yet. Marcello Mastrionani and Sophia Loren are unforgettable in the two leading roles, all the more astonishing since they are cast completely against type. Canadian born John Vernon plays Loren's husband, but he is only on screen in the first and last scene. I figure his voice must have been dubbed, since he's not of Italian descent and never lived there, to my knowledge, so I cannot imagine he speaks Italian. If his voice has been dubbed, I didn't notice at all. On the contrary, he's completely believable as an Italian, even more than the rest of the cast. The story is simple but extremely effective, the performances are outstanding, the ending is just perfect and the framing doesn't come off as overly pretentious but works completely. Don't miss out on this one.Camera Obscura --- 9/10