SWEETHEART
- Colin Fraser
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
THREE AND A HALF STARS Young Nico is sent to spend the summer with his great aunt in Sicily. The first thing she does is confiscate his mobile phone.
PERIOD DRAMA ITALY Italian #GIOIAMIA Starring Marco Fiore, Aurora Quattrocchi
There’s a considerable amount to like about SWEETHEART (GiIOIA MIA), Margherita Spampinato’s gentle coming-of-age story about an eleven-year-old Roman boy, Nico (Marco Fiore), sent to spend the summer with his great-aunt Gela (Aurora Quattrocchi) in a small Sicilian village. Although the story is slight, the appeal rests in themes of connectivity, helped enormously by two sensational leads. Under Spampinato's no frills direction, they make the unlikely relationship between an increasingly phone-dependent child and his formidable elderly relative both funny and touching.
Nico arrives with little enthusiasm for either Sicily or Gela. He’s grieving the impending loss of his beloved babysitter, Violetta, and would much rather remain attached to his phone than engage with the strange new world around him. Gela, meanwhile, has her own ideas about how the summer should proceed. The phone disappears, proper food appears, and Nico is gradually introduced to the people who make up his great aunt's community.
There’s a lovely progression as the boy begins to venture beyond his self-imposed digital cocoon. He encounters the children in the building, particularly the feisty Rosa, as well as Gela's freinds, a veritable nest of Nonnas. What initially feels like punishment slowly becomes an education in actually being present. Even the beach, tantalisingly close but seemingly forgotten, eventually becomes part of their shared adventure.
It’s a simple idea, but an increasingly valuable one: young people flourish when they are encouraged to engage with the world rather than retreat from it. Other children, older people, neighbours, strangers even the physical environment all have something to offer, and the benefits run in both directions. SWEETHEART makes a persuasive case that socialising across generations isn’t merely good for children; it’s good for everybody.
The film is blessed with sensational leads. Fiore brings an appealing mixture of vulnerability and pre-teen resistance to Nico, while Aurora Quattrocchi is magnificent as Gela; formidable, commanding and entirely capable of winning an argument before it even starts. No one rocks eyeliner like she does. Although the film occasionally drifts towards the overly gentle and its relaxed pace won't work for everyone, the warm performances and quietly optimistic outlook are difficult to resist. SWEETHEART is a sweet-natured reminder that the best way to find yourself is to put the phone down and look up. You might even enjoy it.
Screening as part of the St Ali Italian Film Festival
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