As a little girl, Federica fantasized about having beautiful long hair that would grow back as soon as she cut it, about never-ending cones of cotton candy and about countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world. Now a charming thirty-something-single woman, Federica's fantasies have evolved, adding lovers, stardom, and motherhood to her waking dreams, where Federica continues to press for her everyday life to be as real as the fantasies that invade her. Unfortunately, Federica's daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from the reality she faces. Her career as a successful playwright is heading south, her boyfriend is pressuring her to start a family, a former lover wishes to rekindle an old affair, her sister is barely talking to her, her brother is self-centered and her loving father is terminally ill. And as if to make matters worse, Federica is rich, too rich, and the guilt that consumes her because of it is pushing her over the edge.
Gives Euro-style ambient guilt over money a sensitive and bittersweet (if slightly overlong) treatment that's worth a detour.
– Lisa Nesselson,
Variety,
18 Aug 2004
fresh:
Because it is a convoluted meditation on the guilt that often accompanies personal wealth, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's wistful, self-effacing comedy is a movie that will push your buttons.
– Stephen Holden,
New York Times,
19 Aug 2004
rotten:
Overlong and heavy-handed, semi-autobiographical dramedy.
– Lou Lumenick,
New York Post,
20 Aug 2004
fresh:
This is a rich comedy that leaves you suspended, with all its hubbub, between wanting to laugh and wanting to cry.
– Andrew Sarris,
New York Observer,
26 Aug 2004
rotten:
Her story construction -- blurring fact and fantasy and mixing scenes from different time periods -- is confusing and wearying.