I normally don't like to give low ratings to art-house films set in Europe with a strong cast. However, this film simply didn't "do it" for me and most of the blame, in my view, is directed towards the story and the way it was unfolded.
To begin with, the storyline seemed to drop in and out of focuses and it all became a bit of a mish-mash. Initially, it looked like the focus would be on recovering and perhaps (though this was my instinct) the characters emerging from their ordeal with new directions and outlooks.
Following this, it became more clear that the group were forming a very special attachment to the little girl as they felt she gave them a new youthful spring and perhaps a new beginning or lease on life.
However, I'm convinced that the film makers simply did not flesh out this angle nearly enough. Once her uncle arrived from America, the film lent little further weight to the nature of this special bond between the survivors and rejuvenating power of her niece. Because of this, it was difficult to identify with the emotions and subsequent motives of the central characters.
Maggie Smith's character descended into a bit of a drunken mess and the focus suddenly shifted to her inconsistent relationship with the uncle. The somewhat wooden performance given by Chris Cooper didn't help much, though he is generally a good performer. I suspect he was over-restrained by the director.
Then suddenly, the identity of the bomber became a focus and that whole episode gave rise to the odd revelation that Maggie Smith had some sort psychic ability through her dreams.
Finally, the ending and the story line generally somehow seemed to lack expected crescendos and ultimately came off as a bit flat, slightly shallow and certain parts seemed to be a bit of an excuse for the film makers to go on a self-indulgent photography run through Umbria.
The fact that certain aspects of the story were not fleshed out sufficiently and the shifting focuses, resulted in a story which was missing a strong core that the viewer can latch onto and limited ability to understand the emotional "being" of the characters. You would be forgiven for leaving this film feeling as though there was something "missing" about it.
To begin with, the storyline seemed to drop in and out of focuses and it all became a bit of a mish-mash. Initially, it looked like the focus would be on recovering and perhaps (though this was my instinct) the characters emerging from their ordeal with new directions and outlooks.
Following this, it became more clear that the group were forming a very special attachment to the little girl as they felt she gave them a new youthful spring and perhaps a new beginning or lease on life.
However, I'm convinced that the film makers simply did not flesh out this angle nearly enough. Once her uncle arrived from America, the film lent little further weight to the nature of this special bond between the survivors and rejuvenating power of her niece. Because of this, it was difficult to identify with the emotions and subsequent motives of the central characters.
Maggie Smith's character descended into a bit of a drunken mess and the focus suddenly shifted to her inconsistent relationship with the uncle. The somewhat wooden performance given by Chris Cooper didn't help much, though he is generally a good performer. I suspect he was over-restrained by the director.
Then suddenly, the identity of the bomber became a focus and that whole episode gave rise to the odd revelation that Maggie Smith had some sort psychic ability through her dreams.
Finally, the ending and the story line generally somehow seemed to lack expected crescendos and ultimately came off as a bit flat, slightly shallow and certain parts seemed to be a bit of an excuse for the film makers to go on a self-indulgent photography run through Umbria.
The fact that certain aspects of the story were not fleshed out sufficiently and the shifting focuses, resulted in a story which was missing a strong core that the viewer can latch onto and limited ability to understand the emotional "being" of the characters. You would be forgiven for leaving this film feeling as though there was something "missing" about it.