My Brother Is an Only Child

This film takes a look at one family in Italy through the 1960s, mostly through the eyes of the younger brother, nicknamed "Accio" (which I'm guessing means "bully"). Directed by Daniele Luccheti, it's a lively if ultimately conventional slice of life, albeit one in which the characters exhibit some extreme behavior (or maybe not--maybe that's the way all Italians are).

Accio, first played as an adolescent by Vittorio Emmanuele Propizio, then as an adult by Elio Germano, is a lad looking for something to believe in. We first see him being shipped off to study at a seminary. Only his brother, Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio) sees him off. When Accio discovers the joys of masturbation his career as a priest is nipped in the bud, and back home he resumes his tumultuous relationship with family members, which earns him smacks in the head from his parents and constant wrestling matches with his brother.

A neighborhood salesman gets him interested in Fascism. In 1962, when the film begins, Mussolini was still a vivid memory to Italians, and apparently many still worshiped him. Accio joins up, much to the consternation of his brother, who is a communist. They will lock horns on this throughout the film, at least until Manrico's girlfriend, the winsome Francesca (Diane Fleri) starts to get Accio to see things the other way.

Much of this film is geared toward Italians, as I have little understanding of how things were in the 1960s, particularly the politics. A subplot involving corruption in a housing assignment bureau also I'm sure has much more resonance to those who lived through it. Still, it's a lively film, not dull in any way, and has a vigorous performance by Germano.