The Best Day of My Life

This is an incisive, richly detailed portrait of a prosperous Roman family. Virna Lisi plays the mother feeling sidelined by her adult children. One daughter is widowed, the other unhappily married and the son, a successful barrister, is gay. Reacting against their own strict upbringing, none of them is as attuned as they might be to the growing pains of the generation they’re bringing up themselves. A highly refined soap opera that aims to take the pulse of the modern Italian family, in particular the attitudes of women toward themselves, their sexuality and their roles in general… The frustrated desires of the characters are deftly interwoven to provide a full-bodied dramatic fabric tinged with intelligent humor as each journeys toward self-awareness. Underlining the weight of a Catholic background on questions of body and soul, the solidly structured drama is partly framed through the innocent eyes of Rita’s youngest daughter as she prepares for her first Holy Communion and the celebratory lunch being planned by her grandmother. Performances from the high-caliber cast are subtle and controlled, from seasoned vets down to newcomers Scianna and Perini. With poise and economy, Lisi captures the awkwardness of a woman whose uptight middle-class mindset often clashes with her good intentions and love for her family. — David Rooney, Variety