La Donna Della Domenica (aka The Sunday Woman) (1975)

When an architect (Claudio Gora) is murdered (a stone phallus is the weapon), two of the city's elite citizens are the main suspects: a bored socialite (Jacqueline Bisset) and a closeted homosexual (Jean Louis Trintignant). The detective (Marcello Mastroianni) assigned to the case finds himself attracted to the socialite even though she is a possible murderess. Based on the novel by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini and directed by Luigi Comencini (BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS). This murder mystery set among the elite should be a treat for murder mystery fans (like myself). There are twists and turns aplenty as well as a plethora of possible suspects but the identity of the killer came as a complete surprise to me. The three leading players are attractive and embody their characters perfectly. A minor quibble is the film's archaic attitude toward the homosexuals in the film (Trintignant and Aldo Reggiani as his lover) which doesn't sit well with 2023 sensibilities. The intense score is by Ennio Morricone. With Gigi Ballista, Lina Volonghi, Maria Teresa Albani and Omero Antonutti.