The Salt Of Life review

Following his debut, the wry Mid-August Lunch, sexagenarian writer/ director Gianni di Gregorio again plays a put-upon character called Gianni, in thrall to his aged, demanding mother (95-year-old Valeria de Franciscis, reprising her Lunch role).

It’s not quite a sequel: this Gianni has a wife and daughter, who treat him with affectionate neglect. But his lawyer friend Alfonso insists that it’s Gianni’s duty to bag a young mistress.

Thankfully, the lady-chasing isn’t a cue for cheap gags. It may be on the slight side, but this is a poignant comedy, charming and melancholy.