The Best Day Of My Life Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Sensitive and intelligent family drama

This is a very elegantly-made film, unobtrusively directed and very well-acted. The story, in two almost-equal parts two months apart (with some flashbacks), is centred on a prosperous middle-class widow in a comfortable villa and her less than comfortable relationships with her two daughters and son and her two granddaughters and grandson and their various relationships.

It is in no way an overwrought or predictable Italian familial drama, and what is impressive is that the potentially melodramatic situations ? a possible affair in troubled marriage, a highly-stung single mother, a gay man unable to integrate his lover into his family, a teenager?s possible overdose -- are handled with such naturalness and skill that they never degenerate into hysterics or lack credibility, even when the dialogue can seem occasionally corny when translated. The actors are all excellent at including slight clumsiness, awkwardness, preoccupation and irritability within their characters? demeanours. The two gay characters neither dominate the narrative nor are sidelined.

The title comes from the remark of the youngest character at the end, but it isn?t a film with the threads neatly tied together. And it has some of the most convincing ?old family movies? I?ve ever seen.

It is almost let down by an unconvincing coincidence towards the end, but it isn?t enough to seriously unbalance this intriguing and always interesting film.

entertaining

Funny movie, entertaining, good acting, recommended!