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      The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

      Released Feb 11, 2005 1h 43m Drama List
      83% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 80% Audience Score 500+ Ratings Years after his mother's death, artist Ernesto (Sergio Castellitto) learns of his family's initiative to get her canonized when he's invited for an interview with a cardinal (Maurizio Donadoni). The impending appointment stirs up complex feelings toward religion -- his mentally ill brother killed their mother because of her extreme pious ways. Slowly, he uncovers his family's self-serving motivations for beatification, while his son, Leonardo (Alberto Mondini), explores Roman Catholicism. Read More Read Less
      The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

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      Critics Consensus

      Castellitto's performance is the strong center of this surreal, fascinating film about a man's questioning of his religious beliefs and his relation to his mother.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Marta Barber Miami Herald Enigmatic and mesmerizing. Rated: 3/4 May 12, 2006 Full Review Jonathan Curiel San Francisco Chronicle An artful look at religious hypocrisy, interfamily dynamics and the way people wrestle with personal history long after the original events are over. Rated: 3/4 Sep 9, 2005 Full Review Ty Burr Boston Globe It's a bit of a mess but strong stuff nevertheless. Rated: 3/4 Aug 5, 2005 Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com Bellocchio famously took on the Catholic Church and the Italian family in his frenetic first film ... Now 40 years later, Bellocchio's attack on the same institutions is calmer and more temperate. Rated: 3/5 May 17, 2006 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Never as engaging as the mystery surrounding it. Rated: B Mar 3, 2006 Full Review Sean Axmaker Seattle Post-Intelligencer It's messy and unsettled, but Bellocchio's distaste for the cynicism and mendacity is potent and sincere. Rated: B+ Jul 21, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member (*** 1/2): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Strange, fascinating, and well-acted. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Un interessante trattato sull'invadenza e l'ipocrisia della religione sulla nostra società. L'opera di Bellocchio mostra una personalità da vero autore e si divide tra regia minimalista e a tratti surrealista. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Excellent Italian film about family, the church, ethics and the eternal conflict between good and bad. It is slow and it commands sympathy to see it through. But i found it rewarding. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Conjures up images from Fellini's surrealist era, all the while pushing its plot forward with a more urgent sense of eeriness. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Un interessante trattato sull'invadenza e l'ipocrisia della religione sulla nostra società. L'opera di Bellocchio mostra una personalità da vero autore e si divide tra regia minimalista e a tratti surrealista. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Uno dei film...che ha fatto incazzare di brutto il papa e i cattolici.... Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

      The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Years after his mother's death, artist Ernesto (Sergio Castellitto) learns of his family's initiative to get her canonized when he's invited for an interview with a cardinal (Maurizio Donadoni). The impending appointment stirs up complex feelings toward religion -- his mentally ill brother killed their mother because of her extreme pious ways. Slowly, he uncovers his family's self-serving motivations for beatification, while his son, Leonardo (Alberto Mondini), explores Roman Catholicism.
      Director
      Marco Bellocchio
      Screenwriter
      Marco Bellocchio
      Distributor
      New Yorker Films
      Production Co
      Filmalbatros S.r.l.
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      Italian
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Feb 11, 2005, Wide
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $40.2K
      Runtime
      1h 43m
      Sound Mix
      Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, DTS, Dolby SR
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.66:1)