Sophia

I love Sophia Loren's movies, and Donald Zec's biography goes into lots of detail without becoming a tabloid story. He also actually talked to Sophia and the people who know her, so he really gives a good portrayal of her. And by the way, if "A Kid" (who has been stalking E.A. Solinas) had actually read the book, she would know that the spelling error was the author's and editor's, not E.A. Solinas's. Nitwit.

Despite her dramatic life and her screen legend status, Sophia Loren has a curious lack of biographies. Fortunately Donald Zec does a solid job with "Sophia: An Intimate Biography," a balanced, fair and non-drooling look at Loren's life and career. Sofia Scicolone was born to a commitmentphobic lothario and his latest girlfriend, a beautiful girl who looked like Greta Garbo. Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to marry her, so Sofia grew up with her mother's family. Plain and unhappy (she was sometimes called "stecchetto" -- little stick -- as a child), she grew up in the throes of World War II. But Sofia (renamed Sophia Loren) blossomed into a beauty, and later got jobs as a movie extra and a "fumetti" (comic) model. Soon her movie career boomed, pairing her with movie greats like Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant (who wanted to marry her) and Marcello Mastroianni. And despite being known as a sexpot, Sophia also established herself as a wonderful and versatile actress. Considering Loren's beauty, sex appeal and onetime scandalous involvement with husband Carlo Ponti, it would be too easy to make this a salacious tell-all. But Zec keeps it dignified -- no half-nude photos, no "battle of the bosoms," no she-slept-with-everyone rumors. Instead we have Sophia dancing for joy at winning an Oscar, sobbing in "Two Women," and posing with her sons. Zec also has a solid writing style, laid back and very relaxed. He also has a certain way with words: "... a girl raised midway between an armament factory and an erupting volcano is about as easy a pushover as a phial of nitroglycerine." He seems to like Loren as a person, which gives his analysis of her life a friendly tone. Zec also keeps an eye on the extended members of Loren's family, from her husband Carlo Ponti, her Garbo-lookalike mother, and her pretty younger sister. It even includes personal interviews between the author, Loren and family members, which shows a certain level of respect and reliability. This is not tabloid garbage, but a respectful look at Loren's life. And frankly, her life is reminiscent of a dramatic movie -- only it's for real, and larger than life. Perhaps the biggest flaw is that it was written about thirty years ago, so it stops when Loren was only forty. But it's still a deeply insightful look at the woman who "makes films... and the best Spaghetti Vignole in Italy."

Despite her dramatic life and her screen legend status, Sophia Loren has a curious lack of biographies. Fortunately Donald Zec does a solid job with "Sophia: An Intimate Biography," a balanced, fair and non-drooling look at Loren's life and career. Sofia Scicolone was born to a commitmentphobic lothario and his latest girlfriend, a beautiful girl who looked like Greta Garbo. Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to marry her, so Sofia grew up with her mother's family. Plain and unhappy (she was sometimes called "stecchetto" -- little stick -- as a child), she grew up in the throes of World War II. But Sofia (renamed Sophia Loren) blossomed into a beauty, and later got jobs as a movie extra and a "fumetti" (comic) model. Soon her movie career boomed, pairing her with movie greats like Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant (who wanted to marry her) and Marcello Mastroianni. And despite being known as a sexpot, Sophia also established herself as a wonderful and versatile actress. Considering Loren's beauty, sex appeal and onetime scandalous involvement with husband Carlo Ponti, it would be too easy to make this a salacious tell-all. But Zec keeps it dignified -- no half-nude photos, no "battle of the bosoms," no she-slept-with-everyone rumors. Instead we have Sophia dancing for joy at winning an Oscar, sobbing in "Two Women," and posing with her sons. Zec also has a solid writing style, laid back and very relaxed. He also has a certain way with words: "... a girl raised midway between an armament factory and an erupting volcano is about as easy a pushover as a phial of nitroglycerine." He seems to like Loren as a person, which gives his analysis of her life a friendly tone. Zec also keeps an eye on the extended members of Loren's family, from her husband Carlo Ponti, her Garbo-lookalike mother, and her pretty younger sister. It even includes personal interviews between the author, Loren and family members, which shows a certain level of respect and reliability. This is not tabloid garbage, but a respectful look at Loren's life. And frankly, her life is reminiscent of a dramatic movie -- only it's for real, and larger than life. Perhaps the biggest flaw is that it was written about thirty years ago, so it stops when Loren was only forty. But it's still a deeply insightful look at the woman who "makes films... and the best Spaghetti Vignole in Italy."