My Brother is an Only Child is a fine film, full of realistic and engaging characters. It tells a story capable of holding audiences’ attention – so why will you leave feeling something was missing? Because the film seems unsure as to how it wants to end, and its very loose narrative causes it to lose steam when going into the third act. Regardless, Child remains a fine piece of work, a commendable accomplishment for writer-director Daniele Luchetti (Ginger and Cinnamon), who based the film off of Antonio Pennacchi’s novel with the same name.
The title My Brother is an Only Child can be interpreted to mean many things in the context of the film, but it most obviously refers to the estrangement Fascist party member Accio (Elio Germano, Napoleon and Me) feels from the rest of his family. Accio begins the film enrolled at seminary school (a young Acco is played by Vittorio Emanuele Propizio, Grande, Grosso e Verdone). But this venture is quickly derailed by a sexy photograph he receives from his brother. A sinner early into his religious training, Accio soon grows disenchanted with the school and eventually returns home.
Always the oddball, young Accio finds a new love: Fascism (the film is set in post-World War II Italy). His politics only further distance him from his family, particularly his Communist activist brother Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio, Go Go Tales). Things get more complicated when they both fall for the lovely Francesca (Maura Tierney look-alike Diane Fleri, But Forever in My Mind).
Most impressive about Child are the convincing characters. Dynamic and contradictory, these people are believable and emotionally engaging. Despite his thuggish nature, Accio somehow comes off as sympathetic as he navigates through childhood and young adulthood. The writing balances some of Accio’s negative characteristics with his empathy for others, which seems larger than Manrico’s.
Manrico also makes for a round character – a passionate lover and Communist activist, but also a commitment-phobic playboy. Other great characters are scattered around the film, including the middle-aged wife of an imprisoned Fascist who seduces Accio (Anna Bonaiuto, Black and White).
Credit for the characters goes to the writing team of Pennacchi, who penned the original novel, Luchetti, Sandro Petraglia (The Girl by the Lake) and Stefano Rulli (Crime Novel), adapting from Antonio Pennacchi’s novel. Another positive in their writing is a solid amount of humor, which keeps the pace brisk in the first half of the film.
Where the writers run into trouble, however, is in the plotting. The film doesn’t really have a driving narrative; it’s more a series of vignettes in a life story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and Child makes the format work for the majority of its runtime. But while most of the film compensates for the loose plot with character, humor and winning scenes, Child can’t sustain its energy through the final stretch.
And while the film didn’t necessarily need to make a huge statement at the end, something more would have helped. Child ends without much for the viewer to chew on, and audience members not interested in the period or politics may find the movie forgettable.
The actors cannot be faulted, though; Child’s cast is fantastic, with every role well-played. Germano deserves credit for giving Accio a spunky, underdog quality as opposed to playing his feelings of distance from everyone as cynical and superior. Scamarcio also pulls off a range of emotions; despite his near-constant fights with Accio, Scamarcio never really lets the audience forget he cares about him.
But for all its positives, when My Brother is an Only Child ends, you may feel disappointed. These meandering “Life of (insert character here)” movies can work, but there needs to be some sort of payoff. The Motorcycle Diaries was effective with a similar style, and of course, there was the magnificent Forrest Gump. Child isn’t quite in their company.
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RATING: 3.5 STARS OUT OF 5
