The life of Nicola, a young boy living in a real community, is dominated by the nearby mental facility where his sick mother lingers from a debilitating nervous condition. His father, a cruel man, favors Nicola's two older brothers, relegating the young Nicola to an afterthought. Nicola is raised by his grandmother, who tends to her chickens, providing eggs to the nuns, running the institution. The lady also bribes Nicola's teacher with her eggs into promoting the boy, something that does not help him really learn anything.
Nicola has a big crush on his classmate Marinella, a beautiful girl, who wants to prove she is worthy of the boy's friendship by doing odd things. As years go by, we find Nicola working a an assistant to the nuns at the mental facility. He, and a friend, are taken along by a nun to do the marketing at a nearby supermarket. There, he runs into Marinella, now working as at a demonstration area where customers can sample the coffee she is promoting. Their encounter turns out to be anti-climatic. She is not at all impressed with her former friend from school, who although confessing her childhood crush, has moved on.
Ascanio Celestini, the director of this Italian film, adapted his own novel in a collaboration with Ugo Chiti and Wilma Labate. Insanity is the main idea running in the story. Nicola's fate seems to be dominated by a complete disregard to formal education, something his father, or his other brothers have forgotten their younger sibling, pursuing their own interests. As a boy who lacked opportunities in his life, Nicola has no other alternative to live among the patients of the insane asylum. A sad turn of events for a man who has not found love, but only the affection of strangers. The director takes an incisive look at religion as the Pope's health deteriorates and how modern conveniences such as a phone brings the nuns closer to the national hysteria.
Ascanio Celestini makes an interesting contribution in the film. Luigi Fidele plays the young Nicola with conviction. Maya Sansa is seen as the older Marinella. Luisa De Santis, an excellent character actress appears as the older nun.
Nicola has a big crush on his classmate Marinella, a beautiful girl, who wants to prove she is worthy of the boy's friendship by doing odd things. As years go by, we find Nicola working a an assistant to the nuns at the mental facility. He, and a friend, are taken along by a nun to do the marketing at a nearby supermarket. There, he runs into Marinella, now working as at a demonstration area where customers can sample the coffee she is promoting. Their encounter turns out to be anti-climatic. She is not at all impressed with her former friend from school, who although confessing her childhood crush, has moved on.
Ascanio Celestini, the director of this Italian film, adapted his own novel in a collaboration with Ugo Chiti and Wilma Labate. Insanity is the main idea running in the story. Nicola's fate seems to be dominated by a complete disregard to formal education, something his father, or his other brothers have forgotten their younger sibling, pursuing their own interests. As a boy who lacked opportunities in his life, Nicola has no other alternative to live among the patients of the insane asylum. A sad turn of events for a man who has not found love, but only the affection of strangers. The director takes an incisive look at religion as the Pope's health deteriorates and how modern conveniences such as a phone brings the nuns closer to the national hysteria.
Ascanio Celestini makes an interesting contribution in the film. Luigi Fidele plays the young Nicola with conviction. Maya Sansa is seen as the older Marinella. Luisa De Santis, an excellent character actress appears as the older nun.
