In the middle of shooting a movie about the plight of factory workers fighting to save their jobs, Margherita is forced to deal with her mother’s illness when she is hospitalized with heart problems. She divides her time on the set and in the hospital, where she crosses paths with her brother, who dotes on their mother. The arrival of Barry Huggins, the American star who plays the lead in her film, complicates her life even further…

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Known for being the focus of his own films, most notably the Golden Palm winner of 2001, The Son’s Room, Nanni Moretti wisely lets Margherita Buy take over the lead in his latest movie. She is the heart of a movie that balances between pathos (supplied by the mother) and comedy that verges on the burlesque ( the extravagant John Turturro, who is great as the wannabe star). Mia Madre suffers from just this split, which gives the impression of two movies spliced together and tied by common subjects (the coexistence of the real and the fake, the difficulty of experiencing reality instead of inventing one’s own) that don’t really come together. While it is charming, it lacks a certain magic that would make it breathe life.