Gianni is a middle-aged man, the only son of his widowed mother with whom he lives in an old house in central Rome. Living under the tyranny of this impoverished aristocrat, his life drags on between housework and trips to the local bar.
On the eve of the mid-summer Italian holiday of Ferragosto, Gianni is approached by building manager Luigi (Alfonso Santagata) and blackmailed into looking after Luigi’s mother for two nights in exchange for forgiving certain tenant debts. But when Luigi comes to the apartment, he’s brought his aunt Maria (Maria Calì) as well as his mother, Marina (Marina Cacciotti). Soon after, Gianni s doctor friend Marcello (Marcello Ottolenghi) pays a call, asking if he can leave his mother, Grazia (Grazia Cesarini Sforza), for just one night. The four women, each with their own strong personality, prove a handful, but Di Gregorio’s approach is true to life, avoiding platitudes or exaggeration as he spins a warm-hearted, humorous saga.
★★★★ “Bucks convention at every turn” - Catherine Shoard, The Guardian
