Mombelli (
Alberto Sordi) is an elementary school teacher whose wife Ada (
Claire Bloom) dreams of becoming wealthy. She talks him into quitting his job and investing all of their money in a shoe factory. The family and the business fall apart when Ada is killed in a car wreck, and the colorless Mombelli has no choice but to return to his dull world of academia. Vito de Taranto plays the schoolmaster in a role that is a cardboard caricature. Although Sordi injects some satire and comedy into his role, his performance isn't enough to overcome this meandering feature that often gets bogged down. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide