Surviving My Mother

I loved Mambo Italiano and last week decided to check IMDb for any other films by the writer and director, and bought this DVD with due confidence.

"Surviving My Mother" is a radically different film to Mambo Italiano. It is much darker - though with quite a few genuine laughs. It really does fit the awkward genre "dramedy" - in much the same way as does "American Beauty".

I'm caring for my elderly and ailing mother, and as much as I love her and do my best to make her comfortable, I really don't expect to find her alive each morning. So the early part of this film spoke directly to me, as I'm sure it does to many others. We're witnessing heart rending truth in the death of the grand-mother, but it's a vital element for driving the rest of the story - which is of mother and daughter both realising that they have a small window of opportunity to really know each other and establish an ongoing honest relationship.

A strong cast and tight script are complemented by the superb direction and tasteful inventive visual effects - particularly in the projection of online chat text into the real world.

As with Mambo Italiano, the sound design and the soundtrack music are exceptional. "Surviving My Mother" abounds with love, life and passion.