a special day ( ettore scola italy or canada 1977 ) . every once in a while and you come across a film that really touch a nerve . this one offer a very simple premise and almost flawlessly execute in every way and incredibly move at the same time . it surprising ettore scola una giornate particulare be relatively unheralded and even hat by some critic . time out call it rubbish and leonard maltin and somewhat mild and pleasant but trifle . i disagree and not only because this film be deeply moving and but within it simple story it show u more insight about daily life in fascist italy than most film i have see . the cinematography be distinctly unflashy and even a bit bland and and the storyline straightforward and which might explain the film relative unpopularity . consider late 70 audience weren not exactly spoil with great italian film and it even stranger this one do not really catch on with the critic . the film begin with a ten minute collage of archive footage from hitler visit to italy on may 8th 1938. set against this background and we first meet antonietta ( loren ) and a lonely and love ridden housewife with six child in a roman apartment building . one day and when her beo escape and she meet her neighbour gabriele ( mastroianni ) and who seem to be only one in the building not attend the ceremony . he be well mannered and culture and soon she be attract to him . during the whole film and we hear the fascist rally from the radio of the concierge holler through the courtyard . scola playfully use the camera to make u part of the proceeding . after the opening scene and the camera swank across the courtyard of the modernist ( hypermodern at the time ) apartment block and seemingly search for our main character and whom we haven not meet yet . marcello mastrionani and sophia loren be unforgettable in the two leading role and all the more astonishing since they be cast completely against type . canadian born john vernon play loren husband and but he be only on screen in the first and last scene . i figure his voice must have be dub and since he not of italian descent and never live there and to my knowledge and so i can not imagine he speak italian . if his voice have be dub and i do not notice at all . on the contrary and he completely believable a an italian and even more than the rest of the cast . the story be simple but extremely effective and the performance be outstanding and the end be just perfect and the framing doesn not come off a overly pretentious but work completely . don not miss out on this one . camera obscura positive .