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My Brother Is an Only Child

Play trailer Poster for My Brother Is an Only Child R 2008 1h 39m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 63 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Two brothers living in Latina, Italy, grow up against the backdrop of the tumultuous Years of Lead. Manrico Benassi (Riccardo Scamarcio) joins the Communist party, while his impressionable younger brother, Accio (Elio Germano), returns from seminary school a full-blooded Fascist. As the years wear on, Accio and Manrico's family loyalty is tested by their political differences and their dueling loves for Francesca (Diane Fleri), a compassionate and intelligent activist.
My Brother Is an Only Child

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Critics Consensus

Luchetti takes advantage of the storyline's historical context without sacrificing his cast's fine performances or the script's light wit.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian Daniele Luchetti's fluent, heartfelt Italian picture is the story of two brothers born after the war, who come of age in the 1960s and drift apart in the paranoid, violent, sour political atmosphere of Italy in the 70s. Rated: 3/5 Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer The film, which argues that blood brotherhood is stronger than political brotherhoods, vibrates with their youthful energy and ardor. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald It's an engrossing political love story, with a strong sense of the shadings within the daily lives of these characters. Jun 20, 2008 Full Review Sarah Manvel Cinemattraction What could have been a complex examination of Italy's political divisions in the 1960s and '70s is reduced to two brothers' ceaseless one-upmanship. Feb 10, 2019 Full Review Laura Hiros Rincón de cine A film as incisive as it is delectable about the dreams and disappointments of adolescence, the passion of youth and the surprise of unexpected love. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4/5 Mar 23, 2018 Full Review Kelly Vance East Bay Express Actors Germano and Scamarcio turn in magnificent, multilayered acting jobs. Apr 28, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dave S It's not that My Brother is an Only Child is a bad movie – it's not. If there's a problem it would seem to be the fact that it never really establishes its identity. A drama? Probably. A comedy? There are some humorous elements. A romance? There's some of that. A film about family dynamics? Check. Political commentary? Definitely. Set in 1960s Italy, it is the story of two brothers, one a fascist and one a communist, and their fractured, tumultuous relationship. Stylistically, it is sometimes a bit of a mess. The direction, editing, and cinematography are erratic at times, but his can be overlooked due to the strong performances and interesting premise. However, what could have been a great movie is hindered by the fact that it never seems to be able to pick a lane and stick to it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the best movie ever Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Elio Germano è strepitoso e mette in ombra tutti gli altri attori. La storia di questi due fratelli di Latina è calzante e realistica. Il finale forse è leggermente troppo sbrigativo. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member an enjoyable Italian film about 2 brothers growing up in the 60's and the battling ideology of Communism and Fascism Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member And it's good old Communist wisdom that saves the day ... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Set in Italy in the 60s and 70s, two brothers fight over love and political ideas. The film loses flair as the film progresses and the filmmaker refuses to pick a predominant theme. The initial concept itself is good and original. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Daniele Luchetti

Director

Elio Germano

Accio Benassi

Riccardo Scamarcio

Manrico Benassi

Diane Fleri

Francesca

Alba Rohrwacher

Violetta Benassi

Angela Finocchiaro

Amelia Benassi
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My Brother Is an Only Child

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two brothers living in Latina, Italy, grow up against the backdrop of the tumultuous Years of Lead. Manrico Benassi (Riccardo Scamarcio) joins the Communist party, while his impressionable younger brother, Accio (Elio Germano), returns from seminary school a full-blooded Fascist. As the years wear on, Accio and Manrico's family loyalty is tested by their political differences and their dueling loves for Francesca (Diane Fleri), a compassionate and intelligent activist.
Director
Daniele Luchetti
Producer
Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Stabilini, Marco Chimenz
Screenwriter
Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Daniele Luchetti, Antonio Pennacchi
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Cattleya, Babe Films, StudioCanal
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content|Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 28, 2008, Limited
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 5, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$251.0K
Runtime
1h 39m