"Marcello Mastroianni: mi ricordo, sė mi ricordo"

by Kathleen Carroll

"At 72 I'm still the Latin lover," he ruefully admits of the playboy image that stuck with him after he achieved international stardom in "La Dolce Vita." His bemused reflections on his life and his career should finally shatter that image for this wise, endearingly modest actor confesses he deliberately tried "to undermine" his appearance.

His witty self-deprecating comments are combined with priceless film clips, one, for example, of the hilarious tango he performed in the stage musical "Ciao Rudy." Some may wonder why the important women in his life, such as Catherine Deneuve, are all but ignored. Even so, Mastroianni's talents as a raconteur make this three-hour film a memorable experience. Best of all, one feels his joy at having had such an adventurous life. "This is a marvelous profession," he exclaims at one point. "You're paid to play and everyone applauds." The applause in this case is well deserved.