My Brother Is an Only Child

Two brothers from a working-class family in provincial Italy grow up at odds with each other. Manrico, the elder, is charming and popular, while Accio is moody and quick to anger, treating every argument as a fight. As the political turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s reaches their town, Manrico becomes involved with the left, and Accio, largely to provoke his family, drifts toward the neo-fascists. The brothers stop speaking, and the only link between them becomes Francesca, Manrico's girlfriend, with whom Accio falls in love. Their rivalry plays out over years against a country splitting along political lines.

Daniele Luchetti directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli. The film is the earliest of the five features credited to Luchetti here, preceding Those Happy Years, The Ties, Raffa and Trust. Elio Germano plays Accio and Riccardo Scamarcio plays Manrico, with Angela Finocchiaro and Massimo Popolizio as their parents, Ascanio Celestini as Father Cavalli and Diane Fleri as Francesca. It runs 108 minutes and was produced in Italy and France.

Made for about 5 million dollars, the film took roughly 6 million at the worldwide box office. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from around 6,900 votes, and on TMDB 6.7 out of 10 from 418 votes, indicating a modest but positive reception from those who have seen it.