Perhaps this film is called DISORDER (IL DISORDINE) because it seems to show the haphazard nature of human lives. The international cast of well-known actors makes it interesting to watch, but it can't make up for the strange structure and unresolved situations. For some, the final third of the film may be the most interesting. Down and out, homeless Mario (Renato Salvatori) visits his aging mother in a nursing home where she is miserable. Their conversation quickly declines into accusations and lies. A priest who is present follows Mario out and offers him a room in his house, his "kingdom" as he calls it. Eventually, it becomes clear to Mario that the priest is a lonely man who accommodates many opportunistic strangers. He humiliates the priest, who promises to get Mario's mother out of the nursing home. In disgust, Mario storms out and the outcome is something of a surprise.
Salvatori is very good, as are Louis Jourdan, Tomas Milian, Susan Strasberg, Jean Sorel and Alida Valli (though her character seems to exist purely for hysteria). It's hard to imagine how this disjointed films could be compared to Fellini's great LA DOLCE VITA. Perhaps only by those who don't understand that masterpiece. IL DISORDINE is a curiosity and not much more.
