Directed by Paolo Virzi based on the novel by American author Stephen Amidon this film is one of those that requires full attention so that the myriad aspects of individual views of a lifestyle and an incident seep in slowly.
The destinies of two families are irrevocably tied together after a cyclist is hit off the road by a jeep in the night before Christmas Eve. The intertwined cast of characters are Dino Ossola (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), a small-time real estate agent who dreams of bigger things, Serena Ossola (Matilde Gioli), his teenage daughter who dates a spoiled rich brat, Carla Bruneschi (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi – beautiful and brilliant as always), an actress who has given up her career to marry a wealthy businessman, Giovanni Bernaschi (Fabrizio Gifuni), her husband, a powerful player, Massimiliano Bernaschi (Guglielmo Pinelli), the troubled son of the Bernaschis', Roberta Ossola (Valeria Golino), a psychologist, Dino's second wife, Donato Russomano (Luigi Lo Cascio), a brilliant drama teacher who is enamored by Carla, Luca Ambrosini (Giovanni Anzaldo), a teenager frowned upon by others, and an anonymous cyclist. They are all shareholders of the human capital. The story is divided into four chapters, seen from the point of view of three characters, plus a final chapter. The score was written and performed by Amy Winehouse. In Italian with English subtitles.
A tough movie to watch but on made with sophistication.
