The real question is: when will I be adult enough to stop pretending to be an adult?
(Dave Barry)
A vibrant and profound story about the meaning of growth, autonomy, and vulnerability. Irene and Omar embody the contrast between a socially established idea of normality and the impulse to overcome the fate inscribed in family ties. Irene's return to Rimini marks a journey backward, a regression to the cradle of her own identity, in an attempt to confront a past never truly abandoned.
Omar, a central and kaleidoscopic figure, reveals an intimate universe where the aspiration for personal freedom intertwines with the need to be recognized in one's authenticity. His desire to become a famous gangsta rapper and to build a family with three children is not just a personal wish, but the affirmation of an unyielding subjectivity that challenges the collective perception of disability as a limitation. Asperger's syndrome, in its expressive peculiarity, is not presented as a disabling condition but as a vector of unpredictable creativity, a centrifugal force that breaks existential stagnation.
The relationship between Irene and Omar explores an ontological dimension of caregiving: for Irene, the role of caregiver is not a task imposed by moral responsibility but a path of self-rediscovery, challenging the idea of sacrifice as the only form of love. The greatest challenge does not lie in teaching autonomy but in acknowledging one's emotional dependence on the other, with the awareness that growing up sometimes means learning to stay beside without overpowering.
Yuri Tuci's talent in the role of Omar is hypnotic: the actor shapes a sincere and compelling performance, capable of conveying the chaotic energy and purity of the character's aspirations. Alongside him, among others, the hilarious Ludovico Zucconi adds further credibility to a cast that moves effortlessly between comedy and melancholy, revealing a human truth devoid of artifice.
The family home, filled with objects that preserve time, becomes an emblematic microcosm, where memory and the desire for change intertwine in a whirlwind of emotions and conflicts. In this dance between past and future, the two protagonists cross the thin line that separates the need for protection from the search for personal identity, challenging the expectations of a society often incapable of embracing diversity without pity.
The directorial choice to represent disability without indulging in pitiful rhetoric becomes a political and social act, a statement of intent that invites the viewer to reconsider their own prejudices. This is not a story about disability but an existential exploration of the value of individuality and the urgency of an authentic and non-reductive understanding of the Other.
An important, funny, moving, and exciting film about inclusivity, discomfort, and growth...
About how family can become a limit to the possibility of growing up and how society can be both responsible and complicit in the lack of support for family contexts left to fend for themselves.
Themes touched upon include bullying and the use of images that fill their home, describing a life shaped by a dysfunction that is nonetheless exciting, dynamic, crazy, and eclectic.
A reflection on neurodivergence, on the surreal and creative discomfort of Fellini-esque provincial life, on the imponderable factor, despair, and unpredictability that shakes up routine with a hint of exhilarating paradox.
It is impossible not to love, listen to Omar with his verbose descriptions, suffering and rejoicing with him as he candidly shares his intimacy. It is impossible not to empathize with Irene, who fights for her brother to grow up, become an adult, independent, and fulfilled; not just an older brother on paper.
Based on a true story, the film is marked by a captivating soundtrack ranging from rap to Jannacci and beyond... because...
You need to have an ear
You need to have the package
Submerged in the bucket
You need to have it all
Or rather a lot
To do certain things
You need an ear
... Those who have lost the rhythm must withdraw
Those who can't do it must go solo
Stopping to breathe is forbidden
Step aside, move along because
The beat keeps spinning
Those who can't keep up, please move on
Because, because, because...
