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Title: A weak effort I wasn't expecting...
Review: I was really looking forward to this movie, but my viewing last night was not without disappointment. Mastroianni gives a beautiful performance in a film that is somewhat awkward and uneven and doesn't really know how to connect the dots effectively. It throws themes at us and situations that don't entirely gel, and that's a pity because the idea behind the film is compelling and could have been truly moving. The film centers on a widower who makes a strong connection with his granddaughter when she is basically left in his care through the immaturity of her parents. Just when life starts to feel somewhat `normal', the girl's mother shows up and throws everything off kilter. It just doesn't all work, and the poor production values make this feel very low impact and cheap. Mastroianni explores deeper emotions, but the screenplays lack of depth keep him from truly transcending.
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