Genova - 2008

Also called "A summer in Genoa", is one of those films difficult to describe or define. First, you will read everywhere "starring Colin Firth" but actually the real protagonists are 1.the city of Genova, 2.the two young girls, 3.their father, played by Firth. It's a very bitter story, because this family is coming out of a terrible tragedy. The younger daughter Mary caused a car accident that killed her mother. Trying to move on, their father Joe accepts a teaching job in Italy. He tries to be as close as possible to his daughters, but all the hugs are not enough to cure them from such pain. Mary feels responsible (well, she is, but she's very young, she didn't want to of course, she just didn't realize how dangerous it could be to cover the driver's eyes while she was driving....), she acts normal during the day but secretly sees her mother from time to time and she cries and screams every night because of the pain. Kelly (not-so-secretly blaming Mary for ruining her life) is a teenager, so she doesn't cry or scream, she acts tough and rebel, and lies to her father not telling him that while Mary is taking piano lessons she goes outside to meet with a boy she just met there. With him she goes to the beach, to pubs, or back to the empty house for sex.
The lovely bit for me was how real Genova is in this film, the true Genova, its very own carruggi, those little roads in the old town center, even Joe's university is a true university.  Only thing is, the Italian women didn't "feel" Italian at all, and nobody seemed at all concerned that these two young girls walked alone these roads at all hours, I mean, some of them yes, but some others I would never walk there alone on a hot summer day or night, as if it was the safest thing to do.
Anyway, nothing happens to them, good. That is, until the day Joe accepts a date with a student and Kelly leaves as usual to go to the beach. When her 'boyfriend' refuses to leave to take her back, she misses the appointment to pick up her sister. Mary can't wait inside the house because the family of her teacher has to leave and can't miss the flight (but his wife calls Mary's father to warn him). Fortunately Kelly is given a ride back by a friend met on the way, and Joe is contacted by a colleague giving him the news that Mary's on her own. They both rush back. Mary is wandering, following the image of her dead mother, reaching a bigger street and crossing it without thinking (but young kids know nothing about roads and cars in America??), and causing another car accident. Fortunately a minor one, but it happened because she jumped in the middle of the road and a car managed to not run her over.
It's at this point that her family catches up with her. They hug and Kelly apologizes.
The last scene shows the two girls starting the new school in Genova (must be one of those schools in English).
The end, just that.