Il materiale emotivo (2011)

The film was made by the filmmaker and writer Eto Scola and adapted by Margherita Mazzantini and Castellito themselves. The film, like Fellini himself, was shot at the Cinecittà Theatre Studio.

The story introduces us to Vincenzo, a romantic and poetic middle-aged man who owns a bookshop in the centre of Paris. He lives with his daughter Albertine, a young woman who was disabled after an accident in a swimming pool and stays at home.

Albertine has decided not to talk any more, her father reads books to her and encourages her to leave the house. Vincenzo is a happy man who doesn't mind being robbed, as long as it's enough to keep his bookshop open, even if he doesn't make any profit.

His quiet life is shattered when his neighbour Yolande suddenly enters the bookshop. She had just lost her dog and was very nervous, and on top of that she had to teach for an upcoming play.

She had gone from a supporting role to a leading role. All this upset Vincenzo, but at the same time he was also very interested in Yolande's life. He didn't like literature, but Vincenzo lent him his books.

What makes this film convincing is the tenderness it conveys, everything is very dramatic and all the actors are excellent.

The décor and the editing are fundamental, everything is thought out to the millimetre, and if you let it all go, everything will change and you will enjoy it, and what at first may seem like a disappointment, will become a real delight.

The characters open up and the couples let their feelings flow and get to know each other better.

This is a different film, but a fun one. Audiences who like the dramatic world and love fables will like it even more.

The best: The staging and the setting.