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Movies / On DVD / My Mother's Smile
My Mother's Smile

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My Mother's Smile (2005)

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84 %
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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.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Feb 11, 2005 Limited

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... 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 (Jacqueline Lustig), Ernesto nonetheless plays a role in the life of his young son Leonardo, who is coming to terms with his own religious beliefs. When Ernesto discovers that his mother, who was murdered years before by his mentally damaged brother, is being considered for canonization, he doesn't know how to react. That is because he continues to feel nothing but contempt for her. Gradually, Ernesto discovers that the hypocrisies that drove him away from the church in the first place might be playing a major role in the investigation surrounding his mother's canonization. From dishonest family members to manipulative Vatican emissaries to a beautiful young woman (Chiara Conti) who may or may not be a religion teacher, Ernesto must find his own morality in an increasingly immoral world. Filmed with painterly warmth by Pasquale Mari and featuring a characteristically soulful performance from Castellitto, MY MOTHER'S SMILE is Marco Bellochio at his most accomplished. [More]

Starring: Piera Degli Esposti, Toni Bertorelli, Sergio Castellitto, Jacqueline Lustig

Starring: Piera Degli Esposti, Toni Bertorelli, Sergio Castellitto, Jacqueline Lustig, Alberto Mondini, Chiara Conti

Director: Marco Bellocchio

Director: Marco Bellocchio
Screenwriter: Marco Bellocchio
Producer: Marco Bellocchio, Sergio Pelone
Composer: Riccardo Giagni

[See More Credits]

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Release:

May 16, 2006

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for My Mother's Smile

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/01/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

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.

Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com | comment Comment
05/17/06
Kent Turner
Film-Forward.com

Enigmatic and mesmerizing.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
05/12/06
Marta Barber
Miami Herald

Never as engaging as the mystery surrounding it.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/03/06
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club

An artful look at religious hypocrisy, interfamily dynamics and the way people wrestle with personal history long after the original events are over.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
09/09/05
Jonathan Curiel
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a bit of a mess but strong stuff nevertheless.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
08/05/05
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Exceptionally handsome, somber film.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
07/22/05
Tom Keogh
Seattle Times

It's messy and unsettled, but Bellocchio's distaste for the cynicism and mendacity is potent and sincere.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
07/21/05
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It's almost as if screenwriter/director Marco Bellocchio wants to exorcise personal demons rather than entertain.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
07/01/05
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

The quizzically abrupt ending leaves [too many] questions, and the viewer, hanging.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
07/01/05
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

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.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
05/20/05
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In the central role, Castellitto's powerfully focused performance manages to keep the complex drama grounded.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
05/20/05
David Rooney
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Almost as fearless as its protagonist in taking on the politics of the Catholic Church and the hypocrisies of the religious-minded.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
04/09/05
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

Far from a blasphemy, My Mother's Smile is the story of one man's journey back to belief.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
02/11/05
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Bellocchio's complex drama is held together by the tight and focused performance of Castellitto.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
02/11/05
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

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.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/11/05
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

An edgy drama unwinds with an emotional letdown.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
02/11/05
Debra Birnbaum
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A richly rewarding film for the discerning audience.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
02/10/05
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This superbly filmed Italian drama stands with Bellocchio's best work.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
02/10/05
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor
 
 
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