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Brian Cox vehemently argues against dying in “The Etruscan Smile” a collection of emotions that feels overly dramatic but could cause distressing feelings within the audience that see their fathers, or themselves, within the terribly grumpy character that Cox plays so compellingly.
The movie revolves around Rory MacNeil (Cox) and his relationship with the other irritable septuagenarians. It is primarily based on the book “La Sonrisa Etrusca” by José Luis Sampedro, with the setting moved from Milan to Scotland and San Francisco by Michael McGowan, Michael Lali Kagan, and Sarah Bellwood. Though at first, it appears to focus on an elderly MacNeil who wishes to pass away on the remote Hebrides Island where his family has lived for generations, the climax centers around his considerably worsening state of health alongside the dreadful thought of staring death in the eyes. He wishes to die only when Campbell (Clive Russell), the last remnant of the family that had issues with the MacNeils, dies from cirrhosis.
Rory flies out to San Francisco partly so he can see Ian (JJ Feild), his estranged son, and Emily (Thora Birch), Ian’s wife, and partly so he can have the last laugh. It’s hard not to think about how, in another timeline, Rory would never put a family reunion on his to-do list. But circumstances are what they are. Additionally, Ian and Emily do happen to be on friendly terms with a very good doctor (Tim Matheson) whom Rory casually name-drops shortly after arriving in town which is just icing on the cake for Rory.
It’s not especially shocking to reveal that, after a considerable amount of medical tests, Rory receives some dire news. However, even with a cancer diagnosis, Rory is in no rush to face Ian, who for years has been avoiding the family feud by going to university in Scotland. When all is said and done, Rory openly admits that he sees Ian as less than a real man. And he has even more reason to feel that way when he sees how Frank (Treat Williams), Emily’s rich father is manipulating Ian’s goal of graduating from sous chef to becoming a restaurant owner.
As he plays, cuddles with, and generally interacts with his infant grandson Jamie, Rory seems bewitched. After some awkwardly adorable interactions with Claudia (played by Rosanna Arquette), a museum curator who is his junior by several years, the Scotsman, who is quite irritable, shows at least some willingness to be civil, if not exactly sensitive. Much like Jamie, Claudia actually revels in the company of Rory, that is, until she discovers he is short on time.
The Etruscan Smile recalls many other films that, like this one, feature last-minute reconciliations and chances taken (Travelling North, the 1987 Australian drama by Carl Schultz that starred Leo McKern, is one of its glaring predecessors). The artwork in Claudia’s museum does not need to be analyzed too deeply to grasp the symbolism because it is quite blunt. Just like its title bearing, referred to in the novel, the film also focuses on terra cotta statues that show the smile associated with the idea of a happy death.
At the same time, co-directors Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun, along with their screenwriters, steer clear of the obvious in other aspects as well. While Rory has the tendencies of a classic fish out of the water, his garrulous thrawn speech and proud Scots antics (he once attended a formal gala in a kilt) place him on the periphery of genteel San Francisco society. Nevertheless, the film never goes to the farcical limits of “Coming to America” or “Crocodile Dundee,” and never goes overboard. The roars of anger that accompany some of the face-offs between Rory and Ian are, more often than not, face-off between a father and son determined to stir up old wounds. Buzzing with emotion, they often seem unsettled in their raw sentiments towards one another. (It is no small credit to his talent that, even when Ian concedes, Feild, not respecting Cox, adamantly decides not to be blown off the screen.) But they allow us to draw our own conclusions. They refuse to reveal all the details about the father-son relationship and troubled past which ultimately makes the story more relatable.
Just the same, it could also be the story of a young Irishman who migrated from Dublin to America in order to escape his family’s connections to the IRA. On the other extreme, it could also be the story of a farmer’s son moving to the city because he believed he was not suited to make a living from the land. Whatever the case, it’s still the story of a father who never managed to come to terms with his son who does not want to be what he was to his own father. And that father’s single-minded attempts to get his son or his grandson, out if the son does not cross his gates out of the house.
Cox has become familiar to the public due to his compelling performance as media mogul Logan Roy in HBO’s “Succession.” His other works include starring as the dreadful Hannibal Lecter in “Manhunter” and a nurturing bar owner in “The Good Heart.” In fact, he is a brilliantly versatile actor who has done it all. Because of the exposure from the show, it makes sense that “The Etruscan Smile” has received a U.S. release after a long interval of overseas screenings and being featured in different festivals. The movie is copyrighted in 2017.
To commemorate COVID-19, the release will span from theaters to video-on-demand. Audiences this weekend, and further until May 31, can expect to purchase “virtual tickets” of $12 to watch at home and pause at their leisure. To add on, 50% of the revenue will be distributed to in-person theaters that opted for participation in the program.
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