Review of Mid-August Lunch

Delightfully light and charming film focusing on a put-upon middle-aged son, Gianni (the director in a wonderfully nuanced role), and how his life is disrupted one holiday weekend with the arrival of several old ladies to his home.

Narratively, the film only encompasses a small amount of time and limited locations, but there is so much character in every passing second that you become totally engrossed in the lives of those involved and their developing relationships.

There are many precious moments to savour – when Gianni is propositioned by Marina after a few drinks, when Maria is found in bed scoffing baked pasta – but the film’s real triumph is the final scene where you comprehend how these five people have enriched each others’ lives.

A joy to watch.