FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
JoeKulik
{{{ Fandor.com has this film available for online viewing in a version tat has none of the technical problems cited in other reviews here about this film.}}} Vittorio Di Sica's Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow (1963), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren is a very entertaining and artistic film. This is a three segment film, with each segment telling a story about a completely different romantically involved couple, and with very different circumstances in each story. The romantic couple in each story, each segment, is portrayed by Mastroianni and Loren.The acting performances by Mastroianni and Loren in this film as a whole are outstanding. Each segment of this film, being such a different type story from the others, required them to veritably assume a different personality in each segment. Both Mastroianni and Loren did so very convincingly. This film, and its three divergent story lines, required a real chemistry between these two heavyweights of Italian cinema, which they apparently have. It is really amazing to watch these two fine actors in this film act in unison in each segment, acting as though the persona of the character in each individual segment was conceived and written just for them.There is no deep "meaning" or esoteric symbolism in this film. It is just great storytelling at its best. "Just spinning a good yarn" times three. Yet, Di sico's excellent direction, and the excellent performances by both Mastroianni and Loren, brings some difficult to comprehend type of cohesion to these three divergent stories, as if each segment was just a part of a comprehensive whole story. I would suppose that this "comprehensive whole story" might just be called "the story of life". Each divergent story segment is a little "slice of life", somehow fitting into the larger "slice of life" that is the whole film.This film has great artistic merit in that it convincingly portrays, and even celebrates in a way, the very "stuff of life", of everyday life, of your life and mine. This is an artistic film inasmuch it successfully portrays the relentless and indomitable spirit of life, of mundane and ordinary everyday life.
zetes
In my opinion, Vittorio De Sica really lost most of his talent when he met up with Sophia Loren. His films with her always feel like mush compared to his earlier masterpieces, even the much lauded Two Women. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is comprised of three short stories, all starring Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. This might be De Sica's worst film if it weren't for the third segment. The first two are really poor. The first, "Adelina" (all three are named after Loren's character), is about a married woman who sells illegal cigarettes on the street. The cops try to arrest her, but cannot since she's pregnant. No pregnant woman can go to jail, and they get six months after the birth, while nursing, before they can be sent, too. The solution? Obviously, keep getting pregnant so they can never send her to jail. Soon, with seven kids, Mastroianni is too tired to keep fathering children. This story is just plain stupid. The second story is so negligible it barely exists. It's called "Anna" and Loren is a rich woman cheating on her husband with Mastroianni. The two of them drive around in a car for a while. Who cares? It's all too bad, too, because "Mara," the third story, is excellent. Not as good as De Sica's masterpieces, but wonderful all the same. Loren is a high class prostitute who gets into an argument with her elderly neighbor after she flirts with her grandson, who is in the seminary. After the argument, the kid decides to quit and the old woman and Loren join forces to convince him to go back. Mastroianni is hilarious as an eager john getting more and more irked that his time with Loren is getting compromised. The whole film is worth sitting through for this, but I'd almost suggest just fast-forwarding to this third part. It also features Loren's infamous striptease. The movie won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1965.
blanche-2
Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren star in three stories about - well, men and women - in "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," a Vittorio de Sica film.The stories vary, with the two stars playing roles that show off their different talents. All three of the stories showcase one of Loren's great talents - her awe-inspiring beauty.I was lucky to have seen this in Italian with subtitles. The Italian language is so beautiful. I loved hearing it spoken and to see the Italian scenery along with it.The first story is about a woman who keeps getting pregnant to avoid going to prison for not paying for furniture she purchased. She ends with 7 kids and a husband so worn out he can barely walk. Meanwhile, with each birth, she becomes more beautiful. It's either the longest story or it went on the longest - it's not the most interesting of the three.The second story involves a rich woman with no regard for anyone but herself and her money, even though she talks a different game entirely to her new boyfriend as they're driving. She keeps bumping into people with her car. When she lets the boyfriend drive, he crashes the car rather than a hit a child, and she has a fit. A real nasty piece of work.The third story is really the best - Loren is a high-class prostitute who befriends a young man studying for the priesthood. He's staying with his vicious grandmother in the apartment across from hers. The grandmother flings insults at Loren. Meanwhile, one of Loren's steadies, Mastroianni, can't get to first base with her because she's so distracted. This vignette is famous for Loren's hot striptease, which she repeats for Mastroianni again in 1994's "Pret a Porter." Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren are excellent in all of their roles, set against the beauty of the Italian locales. Loren is gorgeous, in fact, beyond gorgeous, particularly in the last sequence. Even today, she manages to dazzle. There's something about her that no American actress can even approximate.This film may have been a little overrated in its day, but it is certainly well worth seeing.
MartinHafer
This movie is made up of three separate vignettes starring Sophia Loren and Morcello Mastrianni playing three different couples. Each segment differs greatly as far as their length and quality.The first is the longest, and for me, the least interesting. It's about a woman who continues to have baby after baby after baby in order to stay out of prison for a petty crime. Considering she ultimately had 7 kids in the process, the story seems to drag on and on. She could have done it once or twice or even three times, but the skit went on and on with not nearly enough payoff.The second is by far the shortest and is about a selfish spoiled rich brat. It's mildly interesting but that's about all.The final skit makes the movie. If it weren't for this one, the movie might have been scored a 4 or 5. It's about a prostitute who has turned the head of a young man in training to be a priest. At the same time, Mastriani is a customer who is again and again and again thwarted in his goal of bedding Loren. It may not sound funny based on the description, but it's very entertaining and her striptease is very sexy to say the least! My overall impression of the movie is only fair. I think that's because I am a BIG fan of the earlier Neo-Realistic films directed by DeSica. They are almost totally different from this movie--having none of the expensive production values or polished actors. However, they were simply better movies. If you compare UMBERTO D., MIRACLE IN MILAN or any of his other Neo-Realistic films of the 40s, they show the director at the top of his form. Ieri, oggi, domani just looks contrived and ordinary in comparison.
