More Than a Miracle (aka Cinderella — Italian Style)

A surprising change of pace for Rosi, More Than a Miracle — the Italian title translates literally as "Once upon a time" — is a winning, whimsical fantasy set in 17th-century Southern Italy. The big-star cast headlines Omar Sharif and Sophia Loren. He is the prince who refuses to marry any of the seven princesses selected for him as eligible brides; she is the exuberant peasant woman he opts for instead. Shot in convincing storybook fashion at several suitably picturesque historical locations, this delightful film has been described by Rosi as a “realistic, credible” fairy tale “not so very far from my usual world.” “Extraordinary . . . Couldn’t be further from a film like The Mattei Affair but it's none the less informed by the same intelligence that Rosi brings to his directly political work” (Tony Rayns). “Splashy and beautiful . . . Has some of the magical silliness and sweetness of De Sica’s Miracle in Milan and the Alexander Korda production of The Thief of Bagdad” (Pauline Kael). “A much underrated film, made with style, charm and warmth . . . An indication that inside the political Rosi, there is a comedy director struggling to get out” (Richard Roud). Colour, 35mm, in Italian with English subtitles. 103 mins.