Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 6, 2015

The musical “Mamma Mia!” has been celebrated on a global scale, becoming one of the most popular theatrical productions in history, also sustaining outstanding business as a 2009 feature film. While its true fingerprint originates from the music of ABBA, exploring a subgenre known as the “jukebox musical,” the story has also captured imagination, romanticizing the idea of an older woman reuniting with three lovers after decades apart, unsure which individual is the true father of her adult daughter. It all appears jovial, madcap, and perhaps a little amorous, but “Mamma Mia!” apparently owes a debt to an obscure 1968 comedy titled “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell.” Trading Greek islands for an Italian village, the picture creates a farcical take on paternity and long-held affection, only skipping on the ABBA tunes and wild costuming. I’m honestly surprised there wasn’t some type of legal action taken against writer Catherine Johnson, who liberally takes from the amiable but overdone “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell,” reworking its key elements to fit primary dramatic demands of the initial West End production.

In a small coastal village in Italy, Carla (Gina Lollobrigida) is the owner of a small vineyard, maintaining a breezy life with housekeeper Rosa (Naomi Stevens) and boyfriend Vittorio (Philippe Leroy). When a local ceremony begins, celebrating community liberation by American forces during WWII, Carla is hit with the realization that wartime lovers Walter (Telly Savalas), Justin (Peter Lawford), and Phil (Phil Silvers) are planning to attend, while her 18 year old daughter, Gia (Janet Margolin), is also coming back to town after schooling in Switzerland. Establishing a lie that Gia’s father was an American soldier tragically killed, Carla is now confronted with the truth, unsure which of the three visiting men is Gia’s true parent. Madly dashing from one end of town to the other to separate her suitors, Carla sets out to keep Walter, Justin, and Phil guessing, while their wives, Fritzie (Lee Grant), Lauren (Marian McCargo), and Shirley (Shelley Winters), gradually piece together the reality of the situation, leaving Gia confused and angry as she deals with her own affair with a married Frenchman.

“Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” is a reluctant farce, always attempting to balance the wild and the wacky with an understanding of distress shared by all the characters. Co-scripted and directed by Melvin Frank (“The Court Jester,” “Walk Like a Man”), the feature certainly kicks off with a bubbly spirit, courtesy of composer Riz Orlolani, who provides a fantastic score to bring energy to the piece, holding to an era-specific blend of symphony sounds and pop music. It’s a perfect system of sonic support that gives the movie an extra boost when it needs it the most. However, Orlolani can’t do all the heavy lifting, leaving the story to Frank’s leadership, watching the helmer try to find a middle ground between pathos and bug-eyed reactions, giving the effort a classic Hollywood feel while urging the material into the 1960s, touching on themes of free love and female empowerment, while adultery plays an important role in the tale, focusing on Justin’s rather unrepentant attitude toward the mangling of his marital vows.

The script is clear with characterizations, filling the opening act with a full understanding of domestic situations. Walter is a boisterous fellow enduring difficult infertility issues with Fritzie, with their combative relationship wearing down his patience with marriage. As previously mentioned, Justin is a serial cheater, with Lauren resentful but dutiful, keeping her vows while growing to hate her spouse. Phil is a family man with three young boys, with Shirley seemingly lost in her own orbit, allowing her mate to chase his dream of a reunion with Gina. “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” is primarily made up of secretive meetings, with the men offering their wives a day at the beauty parlor to ease their escape, hoping to slide into Gina’s arms. Of course, nothing is easy, leaving the midsection of the effort to an elaborate juggling game where Gina, with help from Rosa and Vittorio, tries to meet her lovers without the lovers meeting one another, creating head-spinning choreography of slammed doors and speedy small talk. Extra pressure is applied by the visiting Americans, who plan to dedicate a new chapel to Gina’s late, entirely invented husband (his name pulled from a nearby soup can), adding to her guilt.

Is “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” funny? Your mileage may vary, but production certainly tries periodically to whip up a frenzy, ordering Silvers to play to the camera, while farcical choreography holds a snappy theatrical spirit. It’s an amiable feature in spurts, especially when it settles into Gina’s dash to pacify her randy men. However, Frank is just as eager to retain dramatic potential, breaking up the action to address Walter and Fritzie’s childless existence and Justin’s wandering eye. These are valuable dimensions to the characters, but often apply the brakes on an already overlong effort, finding Frank unable to reclaim lost momentum.

Perhaps the most interesting player in this mess is Gina, a woman trying to preserve her dignity while her past catches up with her. There’s a financial element to the story, with the three possible dads sending monthly checks to the single mom for the last 18 years. A potentially uncomfortable situation of manipulation and fraud is glossed over by the production, which is generally fearful of turning Gina into the villain of the piece. Her behavior is pretty reprehensible, and she never quite owns up to her crimes, yet Lollobrigida is utterly charming in the role, softening barbed revelations, permitting the movie to keep its head above water as the script wades through pronounced violations of trust.

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation sustains colorful cinematography, with encouraging hues emerging from sun-drenched outdoor encounters and costuming (Lollobrigida's outfits are the highlights), which is filled with bold primaries. Skintones look healthy and secure. Grain runs slightly chunky, only troubling with a periodic bursts of noise and discoloration on certain fabrics. Fine detail is encouraging, even seizing textures in soft glamour photography used on the feature's female stars. Shadow detail is comfortable but rarely challenged, with most of the movie shot in brightly lit conditions. However, delineation remains, never solidifying. Print remains in decent shape, offering some mild speckling. Brief displays of judder pop periodically.

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Leading with a snappy opening song, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix holds a satisfactory presence, with music sounding full and clean, offering passable instrumentation. Dialogue exchanges are equally flavorful, with comedic speeds and accents presented crisply, without prominent hiss to stifle flow. Dubbing is pronounced, and atmospherics are inherently thick, but the track sounds balanced and secure, supporting the many moods of the picture without mangled extremes in range.

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:57, HD) is included.

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell" has some amusing asides, including bits of culture shock as Shirley, with three young boys in tow, is confronted with public breastfeeding and nude artwork in Italy, while Lauren is subject to numerous rear pinches from random men. Decoration, including colorful cinematography from Gabor Pogany, is enticing, and the feature has moments where comedic interests snap together and dramatic asides carry weight. However, consistency isn't a best friend to "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell," which is often caught struggling to sell a tale of panic that isn't nearly as frantic as it should be.