Lando Buzzanca, who is currently enjoying success as Commissario Vivaldi on TV, stars in this old fashioned farce in which all men are con-men and women fall for them no matter what. As Alex Fortini, he is living the good life with Diana (Bondgirl Claudine Auger) and is waiting for his divorce to go through. Having been separated from Ingrid (Janet Agren) five years earlier, Alex has no intention of paying her alimony, so he arranges to meet her not in Diana's penthouse suite, but rather in his friend and neighbor Vittorio (Massimo Boldi)'s messy basement studio. So you would think this film would be called 'Lend me your home' instead of 'Lend me your wife', but the title will be explained in the final third of the picture as well as the third paragraph of this review.
Vittorio has been working on a beer ad starring his wife Marilù (Daniela Poggi) to raise enough money to pay his long overdue bills. But Marilù is unable to pronounce the word 'beer' correctly, so she ends up incredible plastered and is still out of it while Alex is entertaining Ingrid in Vittorio's pad. Poor Vittorio is out in the rain by this time. Viewers will recognize all the usual routines that can be found in your typical farcical play: concealing people from others by dragging them from one place to the other while the other's back is turned, a protagonist who gets himself deeper into trouble with each new lie he forces himself to tell, etc.
Complications arise when Alex and Ingrid rekindle their love, Diana decides to move out and another shady but well dressed conman played by Renzo Montagnani arrives to do business with Alex, but assumes he is married to Marilù. This is where the title 'Lend me your wife' comes into play, as Alex no longer needs Vittorio's place, just his wife to pose as his for dinner. And seeing as Alex has already payed all of Vittorio's bills (to a young Diego Abatantuono in a small part), Vittorio can hardly say no.
To go into any more details would spoil the fun, as all the men involved are likable scoundrels and gifted comedians and all the women are gorgeous, loving and (apart from Marilù) smart. Just the way Italians like them.
8 out of 10
Vittorio has been working on a beer ad starring his wife Marilù (Daniela Poggi) to raise enough money to pay his long overdue bills. But Marilù is unable to pronounce the word 'beer' correctly, so she ends up incredible plastered and is still out of it while Alex is entertaining Ingrid in Vittorio's pad. Poor Vittorio is out in the rain by this time. Viewers will recognize all the usual routines that can be found in your typical farcical play: concealing people from others by dragging them from one place to the other while the other's back is turned, a protagonist who gets himself deeper into trouble with each new lie he forces himself to tell, etc.
Complications arise when Alex and Ingrid rekindle their love, Diana decides to move out and another shady but well dressed conman played by Renzo Montagnani arrives to do business with Alex, but assumes he is married to Marilù. This is where the title 'Lend me your wife' comes into play, as Alex no longer needs Vittorio's place, just his wife to pose as his for dinner. And seeing as Alex has already payed all of Vittorio's bills (to a young Diego Abatantuono in a small part), Vittorio can hardly say no.
To go into any more details would spoil the fun, as all the men involved are likable scoundrels and gifted comedians and all the women are gorgeous, loving and (apart from Marilù) smart. Just the way Italians like them.
8 out of 10
