After indicating that she would rather not continue, a writer takes over the rest of his daughter's swimming instructions because he's interested in her swimming instructor. So after some lessons from Giulia (the name of the swimming instructor), he eventually works his way up to "friendly conversation level" with her and a little later on to "ask her out level". But she refuses. Giulia doesn't date at night. And with good reason, we shortly learn, after she explains to the writer that she's in jail and only out on a work permit. Gotta give that writer credit. He didn't even blink. Personally, my eyes would have popped out of my head. Well anyway, the guy is not put off; he continues to pursue her.
At the start of the movie the writer is one of the finalist for a writer's award. At the suggestion of his publisher, he attempts to get a new book started and so the real story line of him and Giulia alternates with the stories and characters of his imagination. One is about a man who never has an umbrella when it rains and who is in love with a woman who has an umbrella store. The other is about a priest concerned about a female parishioner who works as a lap dancer. These ideas for a new book eventually begin to get less attention as the writer's relationship with Giulia develops and he begins to write about her. And we see this visually represented as the imaginary characters group concernedly around the writer as he sleeps at his desk before his computer.
The writer appears to have a fair relationship with his daughter though she seems somewhat troubled. Not so with his wife. He's polite, friendly and complimentary to her, but if she tries to get too close he pushes her away. The impression one get's is that he's not in love with her. For some reason Giulia "inspires" him and his wife does not. He continues to see her whenever he can. Giulia has a daughter she has only seen from a distance during her incarceration. The writer takes it upon himself to intervene and write a letter on her behalf.
The relationship between the writer and Giulia is neither a sexy or torrid love affair; not particularly passionate. Rather it's a slow-moving relationship movie about an unhappy enigmatic woman prisoner and the writer besotted with her. Finally, not really my cup of tea. I felt it needed more intensity and some more humor. So basically, a mildly interesting movie about an affair under odd circumstances and people that generally do not seem particularly happy. Love, Boloxxxi.
