Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963)

Movie · 1963 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 59m · IT

Curator score: 7.0/10 (18.9K ratings)

They're in Love Three Times and Three Ways...In One Movie!

Overview

Three tales of very different women using their sexuality as a means to getting what they want.

Ratings

Director

Vittorio De Sica

Production

Les Films Concordia, C. C. Champion

Cast

Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Giuffrè, Agostino Salvietti, Lino Mattera, Tecla Scarano, Silvia Monelli, Carlo Croccolo, Pasquale Cennamo, Tonino Cianci, Armando Trovajoli, Tina Pica, Gianni Ridolfi, Gennaro Di Gregorio

Where to watch

Kino Film Collection

Curator Review

Verdict

A breezy, star-powered anthology of Italian sex comedy with real charm, especially when Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni are sparring. It’s uneven by design, but the best segment is a sparkling showcase for De Sica’s wit, sensuality, and comic timing.

Best for

  • fans of classic Italian comedy
  • viewers who enjoy glamorous star chemistry
  • people in the mood for light, adult-oriented anthology storytelling
  • fans of 1960s European cinema
  • viewers interested in playful sex comedy with social satire

Skip if

  • you want a tightly unified narrative
  • you dislike episodic films with uneven segments
  • you prefer subtle or modern sexual politics
  • you are looking for broad, gag-driven comedy
  • you want a plot-heavy romance

Overview

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is one of those 1960s Italian comedies that lives almost entirely on charisma, timing, and the pleasure of watching two movie stars operate at full voltage. The anthology structure gives it a loose, playful rhythm, with each episode built around a different woman, a different social setting, and a different kind of seduction or negotiation.

Worth noting

The film’s reputation rests heavily on Sophia Loren, and deservedly so: she’s funny, commanding, and effortlessly magnetic. Marcello Mastroianni is the perfect foil, bringing a mix of vanity, confusion, and comic surrender. The middle section is the least substantial, but the overall effect is buoyant and stylish, with De Sica balancing flirtation, farce, and a sly awareness of class and gender games.

Bottom line

It’s not a deep film, but it is a very pleasurable one. The best moments are the ones that let the performers stretch out in public, turning desire into performance and performance into comedy. If you like elegant European comedies with a little bite under the champagne fizz, this is an easy recommendation.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Oliver Webb (5★) · 540 likes

Sophia Loren dominating Marcello Mastroianni for two hours, in three separate stories.

art (4.5★) · 337 likes

can't believe they made a whole movie just about how marcello mastroianni was peak boyfriend material and sophia loren was peak iconic in 1963

Will Steele (4★) · 318 likes

I call this Goldilocks Italian Style because the first part is a tad repetitive, the second part is too short, and the third part is just right.

Campbell George (3★) · 259 likes

“Babe, time for your semiannual duty to impregnate me so I can’t get sent prison to thanks to Italian legal loopholes” “Yes honey”

lilly (4★) · 252 likes

SOPHIA LOREN BARK BARK WOOF WOOF BARK BARK WOOF WOOF

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Topics

Italian comedy, anthology film, sex comedy, 1960s cinema, romantic farce, social satire, star vehicle, gender dynamics, class satire, European classic

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