
The Italian dramedy
My Brother Is an Only Child traces a boy's journey from a crumbling family home to something like the opposite. Beginning in 1962 with an adolescent passage in the
400 Blows vein, the film follows Accio as he realizes he'd rather be a fascist than a priest. By 1968, he's losing his virginity under a Mussolini bedspread, an indication of the film's dual interest in sex and politics. Meanwhile, the hot-tempered Accio spars constantly with his brother Manrico, a devoted Communist. Just for good measure, both love the same woman. Director Daniele Luchetti collaborates with the screenwriters of
The Best of Youth for a story that likewise compares and contrasts familial and national politics while ably tickling audiences with pathos, humor, and romance.