Summer in Genoa is one of those deserving-of-an-audience movies that goes unnoticed because there isn’t any blood or guts, or grand statements about life, or ostentatious love affairs played out by big-name stars. What this movie is offering instead is an honest look at a family struggling with the death of a loved one. In the film, Joe, played by a passive and soft-spoken Colin Firth, decides to take a teaching job in Italy. And by going there with his two daughters, he tries to escape the grief that still lingers six months after the car accident that killed his wife.
In Genoa, where they’ve moved to and where the dark narrow alleyways are as complex as their rattled psyches, Kelly (played by The OC’s Willa Holland) is in the midst of a sexual awakening; her younger sister Mary, who blames herself for the death of their mother, still talks to their mother and tends to scream for her in the middle of the night. Whereas their father, Joe, always looks a bit uncomfortable in social situations as if his wife’s death has left him forever shaken.
]The understated quality of this film is nothing like the director Michael Winterbottom’s later picture, The Killer Inside Me, which deals quite explicitly with sex, murder, and sadism. Summer in Genoa has only one of those things, sex, and that was not made to be sexy but simply there. That is pretty much how the film operates: These characters are just there, trying to live their lives the best they can, considering the circumstances – with the drama playing out in a quiet and minimalistic manner, and all their turmoil bubbling just below the surface.
There is much to be admired about this film, such as the nuanced and unpretentious performances, the simple though effective hand-held camera work, and the rich photography of the picturesque locations. Many, however, will probably be disappointed that the film doesn’t set out to resolve the family’s problems or comment on them, but rather observe them through a documentary-like style. But for those who have seen Colin Firth’s recent Oscar-winning role in The King’s Speech, it might be worth your time to pick up Summer of Genoa and see his earlier and quieter performance, one that is perhaps no less deserving of such acclaim.
DVD Bonus Features
There are cast and crew interviews as well as some behind-the-scenes footage.
"Summer in Genoa" is on sale April 12, 2011 and is rated R. Drama. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Written by Laurence Coriat and Michael Winterbottom. Starring Catherine Keener, Colin Firth, Hope Davis, Willa Holland.
