"Mia Madre" (2015 release from Italy; 107 min.; US title "My Mother") brings the story of Margherita (played by Margherita Buy). As the movie opens, we are in the mid of a film shoot, with Margherita as the movie's director. After the day's shoot, she visits her ailing mom (played by Giulia Lazzarini), who was recently hospitalized. Meanwhile Margherita also has to deal with her own issues, including the fact that she doesn't see any future in the relationship with her boyfriend Vittorio. Fortunately she get some help from her brother Giovanni (played by Nanni Moretti). But life becomes yet more complicated when Barry (played by John Turturro) arrives on the set of the film. To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this movie is directed, co-written and co-produced by Nanni Moretti (who also plays one of the major roles). This is really two films within one: there is the family drama of how a brother and sister are coping with an ailing and hospitalized mother, and then there is the making of the 'social realist' film about a factory that may be cutting one-third of its labor force. It's not clear to me why Moretti choose to combine two two elements into one movie, as they are pretty much existing independently from each other, safe for one aspect: Margherita. That said, the acting performances are tops throughout the movie, perhaps none more so than Giulia Lazzarini as the ailing mother. Also note that John Torturro speaks mostly Italian in this role (I can only assume he already spoke Italian before this movie).
"Mia Madre" premiered at the 2015 Cannes film festival, where it won one of the major prize. Out of the blue and without any fanfare or advertising, "Mia Madre" showed up at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati this weekend. Why it's taken almost 18 months to get a release, I have no idea but better late than never I suppose. The Sunday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended poorly and I can't imagine this will play for more than a week. If you are in the mood for a quality foreign family drama with a lot of great acting performances, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in theaters, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.
Couple of comments: this movie is directed, co-written and co-produced by Nanni Moretti (who also plays one of the major roles). This is really two films within one: there is the family drama of how a brother and sister are coping with an ailing and hospitalized mother, and then there is the making of the 'social realist' film about a factory that may be cutting one-third of its labor force. It's not clear to me why Moretti choose to combine two two elements into one movie, as they are pretty much existing independently from each other, safe for one aspect: Margherita. That said, the acting performances are tops throughout the movie, perhaps none more so than Giulia Lazzarini as the ailing mother. Also note that John Torturro speaks mostly Italian in this role (I can only assume he already spoke Italian before this movie).
"Mia Madre" premiered at the 2015 Cannes film festival, where it won one of the major prize. Out of the blue and without any fanfare or advertising, "Mia Madre" showed up at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati this weekend. Why it's taken almost 18 months to get a release, I have no idea but better late than never I suppose. The Sunday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended poorly and I can't imagine this will play for more than a week. If you are in the mood for a quality foreign family drama with a lot of great acting performances, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in theaters, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.