Cast : Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Fabrice Luchini, Melvil Poupaud, Benjamin Biolay, Nicole Garcia
comedy / France / Color / status : completed / French / long feature-film / International collections
This is the story of a woman named Chiara.
She is an actress, the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, who one summer when her own life is in turmoil, tells herself that should would prefer to live her father’s life.
She dresses like him, speaks like him, breathes like him, with such force that those around her begin to believe it and start to call her “Marcello”.
From the mind of Cannes favourite Christophe Honoré (Sorry Angel, Love Songs) comes a joyous imagining of the – supposed – idyllic daily life of actors, assembling a French all-star cast. Marcello Mio delves into the concept of family lineage, the indelible memory of an image, and the impact of the gaze of others on the construction of one’s own self-image.
Press
“Charming comedy boasts a terrific Chiara Mastroianni. A delightful cast. A funny look at acting, performance, and familial legacy. Thoughtful writing and playful performances. Breaking down gender roles is good fun, and we see Mastroianni come to life when she begins to do so. She brings an integral nuance to her performance within a performance, making clear that all of life itself is such a ruse. How we dress, act or engage with the world is a reflection of all of this.” Whether it is the weight of family, friends or society writ large, seeing Mastroianni cast this aside ensures Marcello Mio has plenty of heart amidst the comedy. When she finally can just float freely in the end, all of the journey comes together. She may be a nepo baby, but this is a film of rebirth all her own.”
THE WRAP
“The daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni is at the center of the film, basically a very Fellini-esque episode of Call My Agent! stretched to feature length. A heartfelt and moving show of artistic trust and collaboration, playing as an unambiguous love note from a filmmaker to his favorite star. Marcello Mio plays easily, offering a fantasy getaway premised on accessibility in lieu of escape. It’s a hangout film, an Easter egg hunt. Honoré sets an extra spot at the table and invites you to join, pretending for a stretch that cinema is nothing but a family affair.”
INDIEWIRE
“Mastroianni is the film’s exceptional highlight, who approaches portraying her father in drag with a mournful reverence, strongly resembling a slender, dandy version of her father. In comparison to other recent second generation French directors paying homage to their parents, Honoré gives Mastroianni something a bit more playful...The most poignant moment arriving courtesy of Deneuve, talking about how their cinematic images may remain, but eventually, no one will remember anything about the real people playing their roles. A decidedly affectionate homage to the daughter of two acting legends, eclipsed by both, but from their shadows creating her own unique narrative.”
IONCINEMA
“Teaming up for their fourth collaboration in over a decade, the director and actress now give us the very meta, very inside-baseball film comedy.” “Sincere and emotional.”
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
