Sophia Loren

Just as John and Max resolve to save their beloved bait shop from turning into an Italian restaurant, its new female owner catches Max's attention. Things don't seem to change much in Wabasha County: Max and John are still fighting after 35 years; Grandpa still drinks, smokes, and chases women; and nobody's been able to catch the fabled "Catfish Hunter", a gigantic catfish that actually smiles at fishermen who try to snare it. Six months ago John married the new girl in town, Ariel, and people begin to suspect that Max might be missing something similar in his life. The only joy Max claims is left in his life is fishing, but that might change with the new owner of the bait shop. —Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>

Paris, Fashion Week 1994. All kind of models, designers, reporters, fashion editors... join together to present next year's trends. Kitty Potter (Kim Basinger) is an American reporter from Atlanta, Georgia who is in search of big news. Sergio (Marcello Mastroianni), an Italian expedite living in Moscow, Russia, arrives in Paris and sends an identical Christian Dior neck tie to the president of the French Association of Fashion, Olivier de la Fontaine (Jean-Pierre Cassel) and meets with him in high secrecy. He disregards his wife Isabella de la Fontaine (Sophia Loren), who is mad at him and tries to avoid Kitty in the airport, but she sees him so he has to give the interview. They have a sandwich and then Sergio and Olivier leave the airport. Sergio doesn't realize that he is carrying Joe Flynn's (Tim Robbins) suitcase. Nearby, scruffy American journalist Anne Eisenhower (Julia Roberts) has lost her suitcase and she can't understand or speak any French, so she takes Sergio's luggage by mistake. While Sergio and Olivier are together in a limo, the president dies while they are stuck in a traffic jam and Sergio runs away. When the chauffeur realizes that his passenger is dead, he cries for help, and Sergio jumps from a bridge so that a police officer doesn't catch him. Cy Bianco (Forest Whitaker) is an eccentric fashion designer who is always changing his mind about his designs. Milo O'Brannigan (Stephen Rea) is a photo journalist from Ireland covering Fashion Week. He is established as is a lazy, I-can't-be-bothered rock-'n'-roller who takes a photo of all the designers together, including Sonya Rykel (herself), and Jean-Paul Gualtier (himself). Meanwhile, Isabella goes to the Richard Lacroix fashion show as if nothing had happened. After the show, where Christy Turlington (herself), Tatjana Patitz (herself), Naomi Campbell (herself), Helena Christensen (herself) and other models strut their stuff, Kitty will interview Gianfranco Ferré (himself), at the time head designer for haute couture house Christian Dior (himself). At the hotel, Anne tries to contact people in the world of fashion without much success. As she and Joe share a luxurious hotel room, and she can't stand drinking, they end up making love. The next morning, she gets angry because he jumped to the occasion, leaving it as a one-night stand when she mentions it. Watching the televised Issey Miyake show, Sergio sees Joe wearing his jacket. Kitty interviews Miyake (himself) as well. Investigating Olivier's death, Paris Metro Police Inspector Tantpis (Jean Rochefort) and Inspector Forget (Michel Blanc) say that it's going to be easy to find who killed Olivier, as everybody hated him. Meanwhile, Sergio moves from one fashion show to the other. He is always among the crowd, always in search of Isabella. When he finally approaches her, Isabella faints, with Kitty crying, "She's not dead! She's not dead!" again and again. Fiona Ulrich (Lili Taylor) is an American photojournalist who interviews various designers. Regina Krumm (Linda Hunt) is the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine who wants to sign Milo. He asks her to go to her knees and beg. When she complies, he photographs her, so she dismisses him while calling him names. He laughs all the way. Later, as a freelance photographer, Milo makes an editorial advertisement for LO footwear, with Linda Evangelista (herself), Carla Bruni (herself), Kristen Fick (herself), Adriana Karembeu (herself), and Greta Cavazzoni (herself). Milo will do the same trick, this time photographing American reporter Sissy Wanamaker (Sally Kellerman) who offered him sex and also wants him to sign for an important position. Nina Scant (Tracey Ullman) is a reporter from the British Vogue who falls victim to Milo in the same way as she is promised sex in exchange for a cover story. Sergio, aka Sergei, finally finds Isabella at a dinner party where Kitty is interviewing Cher (herself). It is revealed here that Sergei and Isabella were lovers when they were younger back in Italy, but as they belonged to a Communist party, he left after their wedding night. He is saying that he still loves her, when they are interrupted by somebody offering her sympathies as a recently widow. They will meet the following day at 16:00 hours at Le Pensevr's statue. Although he is married to a woman, Cy has a gay lover and they share a joint outside at night. At the hotel, Sergio gets Joe Flynn's copy key, posing as Flynn. Cy does his fashion show on an underground Paris Metro train. Two models fight. Pilar (Rossy de Palma) works for famous French designer Simone Lowenthal (Anouk Aimée), who has problems with Jack Lowenthal (Rupert Everett) because they and the company are bankrupt. Slim Chrysler (Lauren Bacall) is another American designer who is on the payroll of Clint Lammeraux (Lyle Lovett), a Texan investor who worries about his own future. Cy and his lover meet their partners, who are also cheating on one another. While they are about to fight, Kitty appears and interviews them. Major Hamilton (Danny Aiello) and his wife Louise (Teri Garr) are an American couple on vacation in Paris who decide to attend the fashion shows, while Louise takes her free time to shop in the various expensive shops. She purchases a large quantity of lingerie, for both herself... and her husband who is later revealed to be a cross-dresser. When Nina, Sissy, and Regina all learn from each other that they were victims of Milo's scam, they turns the tables on their tormentor by stealing his camera and offer to negotiate the return of his incriminating camera in exchange for him telling him his story. Isabella and Sergio go to bed, but after her striptease, he falls sleep, so she leaves in frustration. Simone makes the last preparations for her fashion show, wherein the models, including Yvette Horner (herself) wear cowboy boots... and nothing else. Simone for LO presents a catwalk of nude models to the music of The Cranberries' Pretty. First confused and then fed up, Kitty leaves, giving her microphone to her long-suffering French assistant Sophie Choiset (Chiara Mastroianni), who gladly takes the position in front of the camera. The inspectors say that Olivier died because of the ham sandwich he ate, which got stuck in his esophagus, so he choked to death. Anne and Joe say goodbye as they both prepare to return to the USA, both better dressed this time and they agree to keep their several night stand a secret between the two of them. Over the end credits, Olivier's funeral is held. We see some naked children playing, following the new fashion of Simone, the trend of appreciating the human body and showing it without ornaments. Sergio has fallen asleep again, so he's not in time to talk to Isabella, who dresses in black. The film ends with images of several catwalks.

In Hong Kong, an ambassador returning to America meets a Russian countess, a refugee without a passport, who decides to hide in his cabin. In Hong Kong, wealthy Ogden Mears is traveling in a transatlantic, close to being assigned Saudi Arabian ambassador, and divorcing his wife Martha. He and his friend Harvey are invited by their old friend Clark to go to a nightclub with three aristocratic Russians on their last night. Ogden drinks too much and spends the night with Countess Natascha. The next morning, while sailing back home, Ogden finds Natascha hidden in his cabin wearing a ball gown and with no documents. The stowaway explains that she wants to go to the United States. Ogden is worried about his career, but Harvey convinces him to help Natascha. Ogden falls in love with Natascha, and he and Harvey plot a fake marriage between Natascha and his valet Hudson. Things get complicated when Immigration requests Natascha's documents and Martha arrives on board. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A stateless Russian countess stows away in the cabin of an American diplomat while his ship is docked in Hong Kong. She is determined to get to America but, to avoid a scandal, he wants her off the ship as soon as possible. She proves difficult to dissuade. —grantss Natascha, a White Russian countess, stows away on a luxury liner at Hong Kong, determined to seek a new life in America. She hides in the cabin of millionaire diplomat Ogden Mears, which causes an endless stream of misunderstandings and complications, especially when his wife Martha joins the trip at Honolulu. —alfiehitchie & tipsyheadrinse

Princess Olympia (Sophia Loren), despite her life status cannot resist the urge to satisfy her sexual appetites. Exiled to the countryside, Olympia falls in love with American millionaire Charlie Foster (John Gavin).

Days before his wedding, a Philadelphia lawyer travels to Naples in Southern Italy to settle the estate of his late brother, only to find that he has an Italian nephew who is being cared for by his maternal aunt, a cabaret singer. Mike Hamilton, a Philadelphia lawyer, comes to Naples to settle the estate of his long estranged "black sheep" brother. Once there, he discovers that the deceased has left an eight-year old little boy named Nando, who is being raised by Michael's sister-in-law Lucia Curcio. Mike immediately disapproves of Nando's Italian-style (in other words "lax") education. To make matters worse, Lucia happens to be ... a sexy nightclub dancer. This is too much for a puritan like Mike and the only solution in his eyes is to have the boy brought up in the States... —Guy Bellinger

American David Ross (William Holden), a former tugboat captain now in the Canadian Army, is hastily commissioned in the Royal Navy and assigned to rotating command of W88, a double-screwed rescue tug then in dry dock due to battle damage. His predecessor committed suicide. The slow, poorly armed tugs bring in "lame ducks," freighters crippled near Britain by German attacks. The main danger is from U-boats and aircraft. David is reunited with an old friend, Captain Chris Ford (Trevor Howard), who commands another tug about to go on a mission. Chris takes David with him and they are attacked twice. That night Chris brings him home to his flat to meet his lover, Stella (Sophia Loren), who wears a wedding ring. She had been engaged to Philip Westerby, another tugboat captain, but he was killed the day before their wedding. A friend of Chris', Van Barger, took possession of the hard-to-find flat and Stella stayed with him. Knowing the extreme danger of his job, Van Barger then gave a copy of his key to the flat to Chris, so that Stella would be taken care of no matter what. When Chris chooses David to be the next in line, he tries to refuse, but his friend is insistent. David's tug comes out of dry dock and he goes aboard to take his turn of command from the tug's other captain, Van Dam (Oscar Homolka), who gives him tips for survival in combat but warns him that his real enemy is the one within himself, fear. Shaken by his recent close call, Chris proposes marriage to Stella, who accepts. However, she has a premonition that he will not be coming back from his next mission. She is proved correct. At first, David refuses to move in. When he eventually does, he is surprised that Stella does not share his bed, but as time goes by, she falls in love with him, unlike the others. She puts away her photograph of Philip, gets rid of the uniforms of David's predecessors, and takes off the wedding ring. She also leaves her flat for the first time since Philip was killed. Finally, she asks David to marry her, and he gladly accepts. With the U.S. entry into the war, an American freighter becomes David's next assignment, even though it is Van Dam's turn. Its inexperienced crew sends out a continuous S.O.S., contrary to sealed orders, revealing the ship's position to the enemy. When David finds out the situation, he tries unsuccessfully to refuse what amounts to a suicide mission. Knowing his chances, he gives his key to the new captain of another tugboat, Chris's former mate, Kane (Kieron Moore). David's tug is attacked by a U-boat and hit numerous times. He orders the crew to abandon ship, then rams the submarine. After being rescued, David hurries back to the flat, but Kane is already there, having told Stella that David was killed. When she sees him alive, she screams at him to get out, hurt to the core by his betrayal in passing on the key. Later, Kane finds David drinking his sorrows away, and informs him that Stella is leaving for London on the train. David does not arrive at the station in time to board the train, but vows to Kane that somehow after the war he will find her.

Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren star as longtime widower Frank and recently widowed Rose, lonely hearts who discover something special in The Black Orchid, a sensitive comedy romance directed by Martin Ritt (Norma Rae, Murphy's Romance). After mobsters murder her husband, Rose Bianco works long hours making artificial flowers, to support herself and her son. Some suspect that Rose's demand for a lavish lifestyle pushed her husband to a life of crime, and they blame her for his death. Widower Frank Valente is attracted to Rose, and must convince her that real love exists. He must also deal with his own daughter, who has her own reasons for opposing his marriage to Rose. —Molly Malloy <mailcall@intersource.com>

Desperation and secret passions on a family farm lead to tragedy. Ephraim Cabot is an old man of amazing vitality who loves his New England farm with a greedy passion. Hating him, and sharing his greed, are the sons of two wives Cabot has overworked into early graves. Most bitter is Eben, whose mother had owned most of the farm, and who feels who should be sole heir. When the old man brings home a new wife, Anna, she becomes a fierce contender to inherit the farm. Two of the sons leave when Eben gives them the fare in return for their shares of the farm. Meanwhile, Anna tries to cause some sparks by rubbing up against Eben. —Ray Hamel <hamel@primate.wisc.edu>

A widower, his three young children, and an Italian nanny get to know each other better when circumstances have them living together aboard a badly neglected houseboat. Widower Tom Winters is trying to understand and raise three precocious children alone. He gets unexpected help from beautiful stranger Cinzia when the children decide that she is to be the new maid. She is actually an Italian socialite who is trying to get away from her overprotective father. —Brian W Martz <B.Martz@Genie.com> Upon the sudden death of his estranged and nearly-divorced wife, absentee father Tom claims ownership of his three children, seemingly more from spite against his in-laws than out of consideration for his kids. When youngest son Robert runs off in reaction, he's returned by spoiled socialite Cinzia, who's been itching to escape her orchestra-conductor father's dictates. Being a willful child herself, she harmonizes immediately with the kids and, needing a hideout, agrees to be hired on as their nanny. Finding their new house destroyed by a lustful, careless irresponsible Italian handyman, the five decide to live on the man's neglected and dilapidated houseboat rather than rightfully sue him and take rooms at a hotel. As Cinzia bridges the gap between Tom and his kids while starting to learn how to cook and clean, Tom's newly-divorced sister-in-law Carolyn makes a play for him. He accepts her proposal, but as Cinzia draws men in like a dog in heat, he realizes that he's more interested in Cinzia. —statmanjeff

American ne'er-do-well Joe January is hired to take Paul Bonnard on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure. Paul Bonnard arrives in Timbuktu in search of a guide to escort him into the Sahara desert. American Joe January takes the job despite misgivings about Bonnard's plans. Dita, a prostitute who has been deeply moved by what appears to be Bonnard's spiritual nature, follows the two men into the desert. Eventually the trio arrives in the ruins of a lost city, where Bonnard hopes to find the treasure his father sought years earlier before disappearing. But what Bonnard finds alters him in unexpected ways, with tragic results. —Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>