Giulia Doesn't Date at Night

An Italian author in contention for the local equivalent of the Booker Prize finds himself falling for his daughter’s swimming teacher, unaware that the woman in question is harbouring a dark secret. Unwisely, this elegant but altogether airless drama chooses to spend more time on the writer (Valerio Mastandrea), his male mid-life neuroses and crumbling marriage, when the lover character is far more interesting – especially given Golino’s outstanding performance. Her work here will be a revelation to some, though the film itself seems to mistake waffly indecision for existential crisis. Cherishable home furnishings, though.