Synopsis
Carlo (Stefano Accorsi) and his live-in girlfriend (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) aren’t married,and he has no inclination yet to change this. She is pregnant, however, and the spectre of totalcommitment sends him into a blind panic. Also freaking out over adulthood and responsibilitiesare his buddies. Meanwhile, Mezzogiorno’s mother (Stefania Sandrelli) is dismayed by the ideaof becoming a grandmother, and, feeling rejected by her distant husband, seeks to revive an oldromance of …er youth.
Handsomely shot, the film sits uneasily between comedy and drama, never quite plumpingfor one or the other. From a distance, one might consider the main characters’ plights ashysterical overreactions and troubles of their own making. At the same time, there are somepressure points in its target market that it undeniably hits.
Audio
The sound is the original Italian in 5.1. The dialogue is clear and undistorted, which isn’ta half-bad achievement when you consider how much yelling goes on in the film. The surroundeffects are well handled too, whether lushly enveloping (as in the rain under the openingcredits) or subtly backgrounded (quiet chatter in an art gallery, for example).
Video
The aspect ratio is 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (and not the 1.85:1 indicated on the case).The colours are very warm, with perfectly solid blacks and excellent contrasts. The openingscenes, for instance, take place entirely at night, and are never murky. To the contrary, they arevery rich and a pleasure to watch. There is no grain, and no edge enhancement that I noticed.
Special Features
None.
Closing Thoughts
Over the top? Sure. The film is dubious in other respects as well, but also know how to hitits target audience where it lives.
