Italian passion at Birr Film Club next week

Described as a 'lively, witty, funny and as intelligent a meditation on Italy"s Fascist inheritance as we"re likely to get', next week"s Birr Film Club appearance is an Italian job. "My Brother is an Only Child" will be screened next Tuesday, January 27, in Birr Theatre. The film is based on Antonio Pennacchi"s bestselling novel, Il Fasciocomunista and written by Daniele Luchetti and Italy"s premier screenwriting duo, Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli (The Best of Youth). Coursing through the "60s, it follows the mirrored experiences of two politically-divided brothers from working-class Latina, Accio and his older Casanova-skilled brother Manrico. Manrico gets ever deeper involved with the revolutionary left, while Accio, expelled from his seminary, falls under the influence of dogmatic father-figure, Mario and his band of thuggish Fascist "aristocrats". Daniele Luchetti"s film covers much the same ground as The Best of Youth in entertaining, but serious fashion. A great deal of this film"s lightness and humour comes from the acting, not least the delightful, spiky and engaging performances of Vittorio Emanuele Propizio as adolescent and Elio Germano as mature Accio. Contact Birr Theatre for tickets on 057 9122911 Monday to Friday between 1pm and 5.30pm.