Mio Fratello è Figlio Unico (My Brother Is an Only Child) (2007)
84%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 19 wins & 29 nominations
Daniele Luchetti’s “My Brother is an Only Child” is a cinematic masterpiece that explores the complexities of sibling rivalry and political turmoil in 1960s and 70s Italy. The film’s vibrant energy and multilayered performances by actors Elio Germano and Riccardo Scamarcio are a testament to Luchetti’s flawless script. With a perfect balance of nostalgia and Italian whimsy, this film takes serious political themes and transforms them into a delectable coming-of-age story that will leave audiences both incisively moved and merry.
My Brother is an Only Child is like watching a political drama mixed with a sibling rivalry sitcom. The film follows two brothers as they navigate their way through the turbulent political climate of Italy in the 70s, all while trying to one-up each other. The performances are top-notch, and the script is flawless, making for an engrossing and entertaining watch. It’s like The West Wing meets Malcolm in the Middle, but in Italian. Definitely worth a watch!
Production Company(ies)
Road Movies Filmproduktion, Argos Films, Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Latina, Lazio, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 39m
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Language(s):Italian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 28, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 5, 2008
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Elio Germano, Riccardo Scamarcio, Diane Fleri, Alba Rohrwacher, Angela Finocchiaro, Vittorio Emanuele Propizio, directed by Daniele Luchetti, written by Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Daniele Luchetti, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Hank Sartin, Peter Bradshaw, Carrie Rickey, Paul Byrnes, Jake Wilson, Philip Marchand, Sarah Manvel, Laura Hiros, Kelly Vance, Jonathan Kiefer, Margaret Pomeranz, produced by Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Stabilini, Marco Chimenz, Bruno Ridolfi, R rating, Italian language, Years of Lead, Communist party, Fascist, political differences, family loyalty, sibling rivalry, 1960s, 1970s, Italy, historical context, fine performances, light wit
Worldwide gross: $12,894,062
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $18,471,619
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,739
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,014,353
US/Canada gross: $255,620
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $366,193
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,413
US/Canada opening weekend: $9,357
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,405
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,633
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): 5000000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $7,162,840
Production budget ranking: 1,803
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,857,189
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,451,591
ROI to date (est.): 68%
ROI ranking: 1,074
Riccardo Scamarcio – Manrico Benassi
Diane Fleri – Francesca
Alba Rohrwacher – Violetta Benassi
Angela Finocchiaro – Amelia Benassi
Vittorio Emanuele Propizio – Younger Accio
Director – Daniele Luchetti
Producers – Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Stabilini, Marco Chimenz, Bruno Ridolfi
Writers – Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Daniele Luchetti
Director(s)
Daniele Luchetti
Writer(s)
Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Daniele Luchetti
Producer(s)
Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Stabilini, Marco Chimenz, Bruno Ridolfi
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
19 wins & 29 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (63) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (10)
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Daniele Luchetti’s fluent, heartfelt Italian picture is the story of two brothers born after the war, who come of age in the 1960s and drift apart in the paranoid, violent, sour political atmosphere of Italy in the 70s.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
The film, which argues that blood brotherhood is stronger than political brotherhoods, vibrates with their youthful energy and ardor.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
It’s an engrossing political love story, with a strong sense of the shadings within the daily lives of these characters.
June 20, 2008
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Fast-paced, well-acted and acute about sibling rivalry, the film nonetheless fails to leave a strong impression.
June 20, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/5
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
The linkage in this movie between politics and family dynamics is a point well taken, but the movie — whose sense of frenetic activity going nowhere is captured by Luchetti’s buoyant camera — does go on and on before anyone learns anything.
June 6, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/4
Philip Marchand
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
What could have been a complex examination of Italy’s political divisions in the 1960s and ’70s is reduced to two brothers’ ceaseless one-upmanship.
February 10, 2019
Sarah Manvel
Cinemattraction
A film as incisive as it is delectable about the dreams and disappointments of adolescence, the passion of youth and the surprise of unexpected love. [Full review in Spanish]
March 23, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Laura Hiros
Rincón de cine
Actors Germano and Scamarcio turn in magnificent, multilayered acting jobs.
April 28, 2011
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express
A merry swirl of vital, passionate performances.
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Jonathan Kiefer
Sacramento News & Review
This is such a lovely film from writer/director Daniele Luchetti, nostalgic perhaps, but with that indefinable Italian whimsy that takes serious political themes and undermines them beautifully.
June 13, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Margaret Pomeranz
At the Movies (Australia)
The performances are astonishing, perhaps enabled by the flawless script.
June 12, 2008
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile…
Plot
My Brother is an Only Child follows two brothers in Italy during the tumultuous Years of Lead, as they navigate their political differences and their love for the same woman, Francesca.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Elio Germano, who delivers a superb performance as Accio Benassi.
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