The Etruscan Smile (2018) Reviews

• One of the best!

  sarahmorgenroth2018-05-11

  I watched this film yesterday evening and am still slightly in awe. The combination of humor and more emotional scenes was honestly breathtaking. The story teaches a very important lesson about family and values.

• A wonderfully touching film!

  backofthevan2018-10-07

  ***Spoilers!*** Although it makes no sense for a Scotsman living on a remote island to travel to the US for (very expensive) health care when he could hop on a boat to Glasgow or, if necessary, London, I tried to overlook that and enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did, although the appallingly misguided parenting choices of Thora Birch's character so annoyed me I almost packed it in after the first 15 minutes or so. Anyone who willingly leaves a baby to cry endlessly doesn't deserve to have kids and I don't want to watch a film about such people. With that out of the way, I have to say, also, I've never liked Brian Cox much, but he is wonderful here as a grumpy, tell-it-like-I-see-it Scotsman, very much a fish out of water (in more ways than one), in sophisticated San Francisco. Another thing that kept bugging me is why would this old guy fresh from his wee cottage in Scotland have dyed hair? Brian Cox may have dyed hair, but it's impossible to believe that his curmudgeonly character, Rory, would. Plus, it kept changing colour throughout the film. Weird. Rory's growing relationship with his baby grandson was a precious thing to see, and I hope all those dimwitted parents who think it's a good idea to ignore a crying baby get the message that it is only okay if your intention is to teach your baby what it's like to feel unloved and abandoned. If you love someone, tell them. Support your children to live THEIR dreams, not yours. Nobody is on this Earth to live up to YOUR expectations (except maybe YOU). If you love someone, tell them. There are lessons to be learned in this film, along with the charm and the smiles and the teary eyes. Very much worth watching, I say.

• Many more grimaces then smiles

  stevepat992018-10-08

  I like Brian Cox but I did not like this movie. Brian Cox (Rory), age 74, lives an isolated existence on a Scottish island, amongst cliffs overlooking the ocean. He has been estranged from his son Ian, who lives in SF, for at least 15 years. Suddenly Rory falls to the floor with disabling pain. Super Plot Hole: Out of the blue, his veterinarian friend tells him: You must fly to SF to see a doctor. What??? Why not nearby Glasgow with UK's free med care? Regardless, this wacky screenplay has Rory flying off to SF without setting up any SF doctor appointment. All we have is a grim father/son airport reunion with Rory admitting he has no idea whether his grandchild is a boy or girl. Rory is an unabashed, flaming, hurtful self centered alcoholic. His luggage is filled with booze, he is always order doubles and always carries a flask. He is an aged, annoying and rude curmudgeon i.e. to son Ian: Your wife's not breast feeding, doesn't she have breasts? Despite knowing he may again be immobilized by pain at any moment Rory takes his baby grandchild out for a solo carriage stroll. He gleefully puts the baby's life in real danger by dashing, against the traffic light, across a major, busy , street. He totally enjoys this game of near lethal auto dodge ball. Later in the film he again puts the baby's life in danger by wading, alone with the baby, waist high into the ocean. Of course, he knows that an attack of disabling pain would result in the baby drowning. Arquette looks good for her age (59) but the thought of any romance between the two seems absurd as Cox (Rory) makes it known time and again how much he detests SF city folk and SF's barbaric city ways. When Rory surprises Ian and his wife with a 'special' dinner it turns out Rory is celebrating news of the liver failure (of course) death of an arch enemy neighbor back home. The two had feuded forever and had a running bet on who would die first. Nice celebration of death dinner. Detached from reality: Ian runs to the beach whiles Rory is waist deep in the ocean, holding the baby. Rory admonishes Ian to wit: My grandson should not be living here and also "I will not make the same mistake with him (baby) that I made with you." Ian takes the baby turns his back on Rory and leaves his stage 4 dad standing in the ocean as he, his wife and baby drive home. Rory, falling down drunk and vomiting, mysteriously finds his way to Arquette's house. Perhaps he was teleported from the beach! Rory correctly decides he must return to Scotland to die in his own bed. Of course, he does not ask his son and family to accompany him though they decide to do so. The only high point is the one selfie they take of the four of them on a spot overlooking the sea. This three seconds of 'smiles' makes its way to the movie poster/DVD jacket cover. A smiling, loving family portrait. As noted three seconds of smiles out of the entire film. Grimaces and thumbs down from me.

• A little story

  pablolopezu2019-05-10

  This movie is a little story. Certainly it doesn't take too much from Brian Cox, but he is the best part of the movie, specially the stuff with his grandson. The relationship with his son is kind of shallow but warm in off. I think is okay with the tone of the movie, but i would have been happy to see a whole movie with that and a bit more of drama between this actors. Lovely cinematography, specially on Vallasay. Nice soundtrack. In conclusion a warm movie for a sunday afternoon.

• Warm and real

  albamerlot2019-02-08

  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.