Quasi fratelli

A young woman en route to her own wedding arrives at an elderly folks' care home where she seeks her estranged grandfather "Andrea" (Renato Carpentieri). There's no-one manning the reception desk so she does a bit of detective work then sets off in search of him. He is quite peaceably sitting on his balcony looking out over the sea, lost in this thoughts, when she walks into his room. She announces herself but he is clearly struggling to recall "Carlotta" (Roberta Terregna). Presently, they go down onto the terrace where they share a bottle of wine, a cigarette and what now ensues sees the pair engage in an intimate and lively conversation that starts off within the traditional boundaries but then becomes, thanks to the wine and an old photograph, a more honest look at just why she is there and at what both have to remember and regret. It's not quite as soapy as it might sound, indeed when "Andrea" goes for a swim in the sea the film rather comes alive reminding us that the onset of age needn't be all doom and gloom, if the attitude is right (and you have a towel handy) and at a turning point in her life, she needs explanations and reassuring too. There's quite an unexpected twist to the story at the end, too - for us.