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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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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 critic A-Z)
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Flawed but fascinating portrait of Vatican politics.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
10/02/02
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY

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
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Enigmatic and mesmerizing.

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

An edgy drama unwinds with an emotional letdown.

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

A fascinating Italian drama about the clash in values that erupts within a family when their mother is under consideration for canonization as a saint.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
09/29/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

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

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

Uncannily beautiful and deeply humanist.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
02/08/05
Leslie Camhi
Leslie Camhi
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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
Jonathan Curiel
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Bellocchio has a way of spelling everything out for the audience; nonetheless, the film's intellectualism is both provocative and remarkably playful.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
09/27/02
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

The movie never gives us much reason to sympathize with its hero's plight.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
06/04/02
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
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
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

Exceptionally handsome, somber film.

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

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
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

Marco Bellocchio's expansive, memorable film floats and plummets like a box kite in a storm on drafts of melodrama, mysticism and humor.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
11/04/03
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
New York Times
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
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

My Mother's Smile overflows with mildly interesting ideas and characters, but the end result is decidedly tepid.

Full Review Source: All Movie Guide | comment Comment
01/12/03
Josh Ralske
Josh Ralske
All Movie Guide

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
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
David Rooney
Variety
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
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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