Mia Madre by Nanni Moretti
Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau
Laughter and Tears
With Mia Madre, Nanni Moretti delivers a funny and touching comedy with sublime writing. He skillfully alternates between humorous and emotional moments, each serving as a powerful counterpoint to the other. The actors are magnificent and brilliantly directed. The mise-en-scène is both beautiful and highly effective. Nanni Moretti moves us and makes us laugh without ever overdoing it.
The film’s theme—the difficulty of facing the end of a loved one’s life, which inevitably makes us confront our own mortality—is universal and handled with great accuracy and profound sensitivity. Nanni Moretti also casts a humorous and tender gaze on the film industry, which he clearly understands all too well. This perspective on cinema is perfectly summed up by a line spoken by one of the characters: “I want reality.”
Mia Madre is a highly successful film—in my opinion, one of Nanni Moretti’s best.
Director: Nanni Moretti
Screenplay and Dialogue: Nanni Moretti, Francesco Piccolo, Valia Santella
Cinematography: Arnaldo Catinari
Production Design: Paola Bizzarri
Editing: Clelio Benevento
Sound: Alessandro Zanon
Cast:
Margherita Buy (Margherita)
John Turturro (Barry Huggins)
Giulia Lazzarini (Ada)
Nanni Moretti (Giovanni)
Beatrice Mancini (Livia)