At first glance, and even at second look, the prostitutes of Adua and her Friends don't have it so bad. Although a newly passed law banned their bordello from the city of Rome, one gets the impression of high spirits and camaraderie. In this autonomous women's world, the madam Adua (Simone Signoret) takes if not a maternal then at least an aunt-like interest in her young, beautiful employees.
But the sophisticated comedy of the 1960 film by Italian director Antonio Pietrangeli is laced with bittersweet moments and before too long the larger picture comes in view. Adua and company are trying to go legit by opening a restaurant, but are stuck in the sticky web of manipulative, hypocritical men who ultimately wield the power over their lives. There seems to be no escape.
Adua and her Friends (Adua e le Compagne), co-starring Marcello Mastroianni as the suave manipulator who enters Adua's life, is out on DVD with a booklet of informative essays and some interesting special features. Filmed in lustrous black and white with a lively jazz score, the new reissue features clean sound and vision throughout.
