The Rome of yesteryear casts shadows over Gianni Di Gregorio’s charming debut, in which he also stars as a sixtysomething whose social life has been severely curtailed by his devotion to his 93 year-old mother. His dedication becomes positively heroic when he welcomes a trio of dotty dears to spend the midsummer holiday in their snug Trastevere apartment.
Making exquisite use of the musty rooms that are his mother’s entire world, this semi-improvised saga is atmospherically photographed and exquisitely designed. But it’s the gently farcical interaction and cutting dialogue of the non-professional cast that makes this so enticing.