If Life Gives You Lemons

Antonio is seventeen years old and has a dream: to be a footballer in a great team. He lives in a small village in the province of Campania, a place where getting away is not always that easy. What makes the situation even more complex is the wonderful Miriam, a kind and gentle, but highly problematical mother, who Antonio loves more than any other person in the world. On top of this there is Carlo, Antonio's father who abandoned them when he was very young, and Miriam is obsessed with the idea of rebuilding her family. All of a sudden life seems to present Antonio and Miriam with a real opportunity: a talent scout looking for promising youngsters to take to the Parma team’s Primavera. But there is a high price to pay for every dream.

The film doesn’t do well to land some open-ended stories at its conclusion - with questions of the girlfriend, his football career and future left unanswered. But as I said at the beginning, I don’t think this does an injustice to the film. We are offered closure to the story that demanded it most within the narrative, and that's what counts. If you want to watch an interesting filmic portrayal of life, choices and relationships - this is your film. Strap in - it’s not necessarily your fun-loving film favourite, but it is a real and raw coming of age story. - Lily Meek Read Lily's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-if-life-gives-you-lemons-an-impactful-coming-of-age-story