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Skokie Public Library Staff Reviews

More information about this movie in the Internet Movie Database

Formats:

DVD
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Actors:

Martina Merlino

More information about this actor in the Internet Movie Database

Stefania Montorsi

More information about this actor in the Internet Movie Database

Giampaolo Morelli

More information about this actor in the Internet Movie Database

Directors:

Daniele Luchetti
   More information about this director in the Internet Movie Database

Genres:

Comedy
Coming of Age
Foreign
Teen
Independent/Art

Meggy is about to turn fifteen. She is eager to experience life, actually a little too enthusiastic. Her Aunt Stefania is almost thirty. She has just split from her boyfriend of eight years. Stefania is going in the opposite direction or her young niece. She is cautious and settling into routines, while Meggy is trailblazing through adolescent. Meggy talks her aunt into vacationing on the Greek island Ios. It is the isle of love. Meggy plans to lose her virginity over the summer. Stefania, of course, thinks this is a crazy teenager idea. She does her best to watch over her determined niece, all the time obsessing about her own unhappy love life. The two disagree a lot. But they love each other, and perhaps have more in common than one would think. Meggy is certain that she has found the right guy. His name is Aeneas. He is older, gorgeous, and lets Meggy hang around. She learns that Aeneas has recently broken up with his long-term girlfriend. In fact, he’s still a little stuck on his ex. Soon Stefania is an expert on Aeneas’s romantic affairs, although she is hearing everything secondhand from Meggy. Meanwhile a young guy named Pippo is spending a lot of time with Stefania. Like Meggy, he wants to sleep with an experienced partner. Conflicting couples, witty observations about relationships, and a mistaken identity thread - all provide much lighthearted entertainment.

The screenplay was co-written by actress Stefania Montorse, who plays the character Stefania, and her husband, Daniele Luchetti, who directs the movie. The setting is wonderful and the photography is evocative. The bus scene at the end, which features the song Ta Rat Ta Ta, has become a personal favorite. This movie is a small gem, and the actors are delightful. When it ended, I felt like I took a vacation with them. It is part of the Film Movement DVD series. Film Movement specializes in releasing independent, award-winning festival selections.

Reviewed by: Sharon Weinberg on 9/7/2007