Release Year: 2010

Rating: 6.3/10 (690 voted)

Critic's Score: 61/100

Director: Silvio Soldini

Stars: Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, Teresa Saponangelo

Writers: Silvio Soldini, Doriana Leondeff

Cast:
Alba Rohrwacher - Anna
Pierfrancesco Favino - Domenico
Teresa Saponangelo - Miriam
Giuseppe Battiston - Alessio
Fabio Troiano - Bruno
Monica Nappo - Chicca
Tatiana Lepore - Bianca
Sergio Solli - Suocero di Domenico
Gisella Burinato - Zia Ines
Gigio Alberti - Dott. Morini
Francesca Capelli - Agnese
Danilo Finoli - Ciro
Martina De Santis - Isa
Leonardo Nigro - Vincenzo
Adriana De Guilmi - Madre di Anna

Official Website: Official site [Italy] |

Release Date: 3 December 2010

Filming Locations: Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Technical Specs

Runtime: 126 min

sadly realistic

Rating: 7/10

It is hard not to feel rather sad after watching this movie, which stands out for the strong realism of both situations and characters. Realism is to be perceived in the difficulty of ordinary people having to live on precarious jobs, people for whom love and even more unfaithfulness seems a luxury, not so easy to afford. The movie reminded me of a French movie I have seen recently, "Partir", where a story of unfaithfulness and betrayal is one between a well-off but disappointed middle-age wife and a former convict. Different settings, different conditions, different endings, but same sadness. And the consciousness that whichever opinion one may have about betrayal, what is certain is that it's a dangerous means of self-destruction, mainly for women, those who lose more and find it difficult to start everything anew. The passionate love encounters between Anna and Domenico are marked by such intensity, preluding to an equally strong final sense of void and anguish. One may judge or not both characters, but some questions arise: why choosing to destroy oneself and one's family so easily? Why and what for do men and women hurt themselves? Probably unsolved questions, part of the mystery of human nature. Good, well focused and believable interpretations are delivered by Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher, supported by a wise direction, which lets the viewer see the bare crudity of some human relations, together with the sometimes incomprehensible nature of human behaviour.

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