May 8, 1938: all of Rome is turning out to see the spectacle of Hitler’s visit to Italy. Among the few not attending are a harried housewife and mother-of-six (Sophia Loren) and her across-the-way neighbor (Mastroianni, Oscar-nominated), a suicidal ex-radio announcer. She’s a conservative Mussolini supporter; he’s a homosexual enemy of the state. But after a chance meeting, the two share a life-changing day that will challenge their assumptions about people, politics, and sexuality. Gorgeously photographed in creamy sepia tones and driven by two virtuoso central performances, this tender, daring chamber drama is a more-relevant-than-ever look at fascism’s human cost.