The Etruscan Smile

The Etruscans predated the Romans, they were the ancient people that generally dominated the territory we know today as Italy. One scene in this movie is in a museum and an ancient Etruscan sculpture has the two people smiling. The Etruscan Smile.

This movie stars Brian Cox as 70-something Rory MacNeil, a ferry operator in rural Scotland. He is stubborn and gruff and thinks his home is without doubt the most wonderful place in the world. He is not totally well and he travels to San Francisco where his adult son lives with wife and young son.

It is immediately clear at the airport that the dad and son do not get along. So most of the story is actually about the two of them meeting in the middle, mending relationships, and the dad dealing with his diagnosis.

Good movie, Cox is his usual reliable self. The cinematography includes spectacular shots in both Northern California and rural Scotland. My wife and I watched it on DVD from our public library.

Saw this at the Reel Canadian Film Festival in Fernie, BC in January 2019. (The screenplay is by Canadian director, Michael McGowan). The audience loved it.

The cinematography and set direction are superb, the acting is lovely and the pacing is great. The character development is complex and layered; the relationships really develop over time.

Suspend your disbelief a little of the why anyone from Scotland would travel to the US for medical treatment without a referral or a real diagnosis. The book that the story is based on is set in Italy, and has the protagonist move from rural Italy to Milan, which makes a lot more sense. To have had Rory move from Lewis to Glasgow or even London, or from rural USA to San Francisco, would have been an easier sell, but then there wouldn't have been the transatlatic appeal or all the wonderful notes from the Highlands of Scotland.

There's a few other plot holes you'll need to get over too, but this isn't meant to be a a serious study. It's a lovely warm romantic comedy-drama gem that will make you leave the theatre smiling and wanting to spend more time with the people you love.

Just finished watching this, and what a joy. I just had a row with my sister so this tale of estranged father and son was just the ticket to remind me of what family really means.

Brian Cox was excellent as ever, he really gets better with age. A lesser actor might have played the role as a sterotype Scot, but his rough cutting edge at times kept his character grounded in reality.

I didn't even realise who some of the actors were until the end credits, everyone just inhabited their roles.

The shame is that some people will write something like this off as an afternoon movie not worth their attention, well, it's a lot better than many of the blockbusters out there.

Yesterday was very wet, took off to the Abbeygate Cinema in Bury St Edmunds to watch this wonderful movie. Have always admired Brian Cox, this movie is probably his very best performance, with a great script, direction, photography and supporting cast. I urge you to watch it, you will certainly not be disappointed!

Always worth watching a film with Brian Cox in it. But adds nothing new to the genre, but well made all round.