The Salt of Life

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  • Opened March 2, 2012 (Limited)
  • 1 hr 30 min
  • NR
  • Gianni Di Gregorio stars as a middle-aged retiree has become invisible to all distaff Romans, regardless of age or relation. In THE SALT OF LIFE he contends with an aristocratic, spendthrift mother (again played by Lunch’s great nonagenarian Valeria de Franciscis); a wife who is more patronizing friend than romantic partner; a daughter (played by Di Gregorio’s real-life daughter Teresa) with a slacker boyfriend whom Gianni unwillingly befriends; and, a wild young neighbor who sees him merely as herdog walker. Watching his “codger” friends snare beautiful younger women on the sun-kissed cobblestones of Trastevere, Gianni tries his polite, utterly gracious best to generate some kind of extracurricular love life — with both hilarious and poignant results.
    *Note: In Italian with English subtitles. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Gianni di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Alfonso Santagata, Elisabetta Piccolomini
  • Director: Gianni di Gregorio
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Comedy

What's the Buzz?

So-so
Fans say So-So
8 fans
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Go
Critics say Go
65 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

No

by Willow0407

I was so disappointed. Slow moving, disconnected story line....

No
The Salt Of Life

by Rudynewportpt

This is not for old or young. No matter what your age, if you have no interests, no passion, no real energy for the gift of life, no one will be interested in you. The point of life is to do...

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Critic Reviews

80
Movieline
| Stephanie Zacharek

On the surface, The Salt of Life may seem like a movie made just for old folks. The trick is that it really is about the youth that stays with you, even when your aging body is working hard to convince you otherwise. Read full review

75
San Francisco Chronicle
| Walter Addiego

The film is full of low-key but telling observations, mostly about Gianni's plight but also about modern life in general. Read full review

75
Chicago Sun-Times
| Roger Ebert

This is a movie about a man who is past his shelf life. Sooner or later, he'll end up sitting in front of that cafe with the other guys. He knows it. Read full review

70
NPR
| Mark Jenkins

The Salt of Life is easygoing and naturalistic, but clearly a work of imagination. Read full review

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A scene from "The Salt of Life."