What is a sex comedy? The title sure as shit ain’t allegorical. It has sex, and comedy. In Italy this meant dick and fart jokes and perfect female specimens like Barbara Bouchet, Gloria Guida and of course Edwige Fenech.

The first time I saw this film it had no English dubs or subtitles. Just original Italian language track. I don’t speak Italian. I don’t speak anything, I barely speak English. But one thing I speak fluently is the language of Edwige Fenech. She was, and still is frankly (check out Hostel II if you don’t believe me), the Monica Bellucci of her era. So, as expected, I loved the flick. Last week I watched the new DVD release by Mya Communications which features an English language track, and now I fucking love this movie.

Luciano Martino, who made his mark early as a producer for his brother Sergio’s Gialli and Sex Comedies (both often featuring Edwige) directs a charming film about infidelity, jealousy and revenge.

If you can get past the only problem of the film, which happens to be the crutch that all else hangs on-- that someone would cheat on Edwige-- then you’re golden.

A weekend getaway with friends. You look up and see your new husband has his hand wrist deep in some other woman’s ass. What do you do? Expose your breasts at breakfast, of course. Thank God the Italians exist. When this attempt at creating embarrassment for your husband fails, drag one of his friends into a room and bang his brains out for all to hear. Except-- she doesn’t. She only pretends to. She jumps on the bed, moans like a whore on payday and all the while pushes away her costar in this cuckolding enterprise because she is not like her husband. She is destroyed but will only act the crass fool that he is. She still loves him, she just wants to hurt him a fraction of the hurt he has given her. This is a richer character trait than the typical sex comedy staple of two estranged spouses just fucking everything in sight for fucking’s sake.

They return home and life returns to normal. Or so she thinks. She discovers his philandering has not ceased as we find him banging his secretary in a series of comical double entendre-- and ‘The Virgo’ has finally had enough. She takes a vacation to find the perfect man to get even with. She leaves a message with a friend she knows will relay it to her husband that she is off to gangbang twenty truck drivers. Here is where director Martino and the talented Alberto Lionello deliver comedy gold. The phony face of confidence and the underlying fear and humiliation in the husband is terrific slapstick. The comic back and forth of his panic attack plays like an R-rated Jerry Lewis.

She arrives at a resort where she is lusted after by a bumbling bellhop (played by comedy great Alvaro Vitali) a cocksure Baron and a lisping millionaire. But she never succumbs. Her eyes, and thankfully for us, her wonderfully lusty naked fantasies are focused on a young handsome student who is playing the part of the kept man by a domineering German Fräulein.

Will she succumb? Will the husband get there in time? Do we care if he does? He hurt her and frankly, we want to see her naked again.

The films comedy here mostly relies on clever misunderstandings and is a thoroughly entertaining romp. Is it Mon Oncle? No. Is it His Girl Friday? No. It’s crude humour with gorgeous women that put any Hollywood starlet to shame. It’s the simple pleasures in life.

- Reviewed by Chris Sacks