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10/01/06
My Mother's Smile (2005)
84 %
Reviews Counted: 25 Fresh: 21 Rotten:4 Average Rating: 7/10
Consensus:
Castellitto's performance is the strong center of this surreal, fascinating film about a man's questioning of his religious beliefs and his relation to his mother.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Synopsis: Marco Bellochio's MY MOTHER'S SMILE is a challenging drama that raises several questions about potential hypocrisies within the Catholic religion. The film stars Sergio Castellitto (DON'T MOVE) as Ernesto, a renowned painter and unabashed atheist. Estranged from his wife Irene... [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Piera Degli Esposti, Toni Bertorelli, Sergio Castellitto, Jacqueline Lustig, Alberto Mondini
Director: Marco Bellocchio
Screenwriter: Marco Bellocchio
Producer: Marco Bellocchio, Sergio Pelone
Composer: Riccardo Giagni
Screenwriter: Marco Bellocchio
Producer: Marco Bellocchio, Sergio Pelone
Composer: Riccardo Giagni
Reviews
Top Critic
Bellocchio famously took on the Catholic Church and the Italian family in his frenetic first film ... Now 40 years later, Bellocchio's attack on the same institutions is calmer and more temperate.
05/17/06
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09/26/05
An artful look at religious hypocrisy, interfamily dynamics and the way people wrestle with personal history long after the original events are over.
09/09/05
It's messy and unsettled, but Bellocchio's distaste for the cynicism and mendacity is potent and sincere.
07/21/05
It's almost as if screenwriter/director Marco Bellocchio wants to exorcise personal demons rather than entertain.
07/01/05
The quizzically abrupt ending leaves [too many] questions, and the viewer, hanging.
07/01/05
It is a riveting, rich portrait of an atheist who thinks he's resistant to faith but may be in the throes of a feverish conversion.
05/20/05
In the central role, Castellitto's powerfully focused performance manages to keep the complex drama grounded.
05/20/05
Top Critic
Almost as fearless as its protagonist in taking on the politics of the Catholic Church and the hypocrisies of the religious-minded.
04/09/05
Far from a blasphemy, My Mother's Smile is the story of one man's journey back to belief.
02/11/05
Bellocchio's complex drama is held together by the tight and focused performance of Castellitto.
02/11/05
It's a sly, subtle portrait of systematic hypocrisy (try to count the number of times faith is referred to as an 'insurance policy') and the mysterious way fate binds children to their parents.
02/11/05
This superbly filmed Italian drama stands with Bellocchio's best work.
02/10/05
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