The story of Lina (Sophia Loren) and Paolo (Marcello Mastroianni) is everything but conventional. An attractive blonde steals the taxi of a good-mannered and well-meaning driver. The taxi driver’s attempts to bring the woman to justice go nowhere. With a fragile mixture of fury and passion, Paolo investigates and discovers that Lina comes from a long line of tricksters, including her respectable father, Vittorio (Vittorio De Sica). For Paolo, the only way of reforming Lina is clear: marry her and join her family.