Hungry for Love

A trio of iconic European actresses—Simone Signoret, Emmanuelle Riva, and Sandra Milo—headline this potent, proto-feminist portrait of down-and-out women fighting to beat the odds in a patriarchal society. They are three fourths of a quartet of prostitutes who, after their brothel is forced to close, go into business running a countryside restaurant—but they soon find out that starting over isn’t so easy. Director Antonio Pietrangeli combines earthy humor with hard-hitting, slice-of-life social realism, while Mastroianni, in a memorable supporting role, displays his trademark charismatic insouciance as a smooth-talking car salesman. 35mm print from Istituto Luce Cinecittà.