I Knew Her Well

Stefania Sandrelli stars as Adriana, a country girl in Rome trying to break into show business in this bittersweet 1965 drama by director Antonio Pietrangeli. Young and beautiful, Adriana is able to get by on her looks—taking temp jobs between modeling gigs and screen tests—and she's savvy enough to understand that sex is a commodity to be traded for favors from press agents, managers, and minor celebrities. She's also far from cynical, at least initially, as she plays the game and enjoys the nightlife, but also a bit naïve, constantly hooking up with charming, good-looking cads who have a habit of abandoning her. I Knew Her Well presents a satirical portrait of the shallow celebrity culture and Roman nightlife depicted in Fellini's La Dolce Vita, while also suggesting the alienating effects of modern life found in Antonioni's movies, all with the light touch of a frothy Italian comedy. Sandrelli plays Adriana as a seemingly frivolous, capricious young woman with nothing on her mind, a kind of Italian Holly Golightly minus the cynical calculation. Yet she's more perceptive than anyone realizes as she navigates the mercenary world with energetic optimism before growing disillusioned during the final act. I Knew Her Well doesn't have the critical reputation of the films of Fellini, Antonioni, or Visconti but it is a perceptive social commentary and a touching human drama. Newly restored, extras include new interviews with Sandrelli and film scholar Luca Barattoni, and archival footage of Sandrelli's audition. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)