Inheritance, Italian Style

A family get-together in Sicily leads to all sorts of unexpected consequences.

Five sisters, Seconda (Myers), Natascia (Granger), Duplecia (DeLuco), Tristana (Montgomery) and Fulvia (Henry) travel from abroad to their mother's villa in Catania, Sicily, in order to divide between them the furniture that is inside, that primarily consists of expensive paintings and fine furnishings. The sisters who are married have brought their husbands and children along. However, what starts off as a more or less straightforward family event turns into much more as it is revealed that some people have been unfaithful to their partners and other secrets are brought to light.

This comedy drama features an ensemble cast that play characters who each have their own issues and after they meet in Catania, their lives become involved with each other, creating a series of events that has its own impact on each character. The script does a good in introducing the characters and their situations and although the pace is a bit slow for a while, things start to pick up when actions regarding infidelity are revealed, creating quite a lot of drama for the family. As more and more complications take place, the dividing of the belongings is pushed aside as members of the family try to deal with the revelations that they are faced with. The narrative explores family values, being a responsible parent, infidelity, depression and self-discovery. There are funny moments, awkward conversations and situations, dark humour, adult humour and there are also emotional scenes.

When it comes to the characters, there are plenty of them, some of which are interesting, others less so. Campion is amusing as the mother of the sisters, friendly, welcoming but also naive. Rob Maniscalco has good role as Natascia's husband, a psychiatrist who does not know how to help himself. Arguably, Montgomery plays the most dramatic character, which is the depressed and suicidal Tristana.

Composer James Stone does a great contribution with the score. The music that is heard throughout the movie is lighthearted and entertaining and it goes well with the environment that the story is set in. Bremner creates wonderful establishing shots that show the beauty of Sicily.

This feature may not be outstanding and sometimes the acting gives the impression that it could had been better. Nevertheless, it does provide an experience that is entertaining enough.