I had this film in videotape when I was a teenager, I spontaneously enjoyed its vision without asking myself too many questions about it. After that, 20 years passed by without seeing it and without really thinking about it, until recently when I watched another coming of age Italian film from the 90s, Ovosodo, and, having been really impressed by the raw honesty of it, I started thinking back to Mignon e' partita, and the similarities and differences between these 2 coming of age Italian films.
I managed to track down a copy of Mignon e' partita, and watched it finally yesterday. I remembered from my youth an average but enjoyable TV film about a dysfunctional but loving family, being put through a new test with the sudden arrival of a relative who is a complete stranger, and not a friendly one either.
Watching it again after many years I was impressed by the vivid atmosphere of this film, by the depth of its characters, the quality of the acting of both adults, played by nationally famous actors as, for example, Stefania Sandrelli, Massimo D' Apporto, and youngsters, who play their roles with such a vitality and a talent that I really hope they had, after this film, the chances they deserve to act in many other quality films.
Overall I can say director Francesca Archibugi created an intimate, vivid and totally believable family portrait in this film, mixing elements of tragedy, comedy and romance in the perfect way to create this little gem of a film.
If you like social realism, so-called kitchen sink dramas, coming of a age stories, I would strongly advise you to give a try to this film.
