My Brother is an Only Child

Read about this film in Cyn Collins’s Daily Planet review, “21 films in 11 days.”

Director: DANIELE LUCHETTI

This bright, vividly drawn family drama involves two radically different brothers taking divergent paths in the tumultuous ‘60s; younger Accio takes up with a Fascist organization while his brother Manrico is a dedicated leftist. With the aid of fellow screenwriters Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli (the team behind 2003’s critical hit The Best of Youth), director Daniele Luchetti has crafted a touching and comedic political coming-of-age tale.

Set in a small Italian town south of Rome, My Brother Is an Only Child follows two brothers who are divided by wildly different personalities and opposing political beliefs. Accio (Elio Germano in a delightful performance) is a charismatic young smart-aleck with aspirations of joining the priesthood. Under the tutelage of Mario (Luca Zingaretti), the well-regarded local Fascist leader, Accio breaks with his liberal, working class family, while Accioís older brother, Manrico (Italian dreamboat Riccardo Scamarcio), the favored son, garners local attention as a Communist demonstrator. With a stellar cast, intimate, largely handheld cinematography and a collection of ‘60s and ‘70s pop hits, Luchetti illuminates a troubled time and still troubled in Italian history, using loveable characters and an optimistic attitude that fills the screen.

(In Italian w/ Eng. subtitles)

ITALY • 2007 • 108 MINUTES • DIRECTOR: DANIELE LUCHETTI