Sister Caterina, the young nun at the center of this story, finds herself questioning whether to go ahead in making her permanent bows in a year's time. What prompts her to reconsider and examine her faith is an abandoned baby who has been found in a park in Milano by a man who, seeing the sister, decides to turn the just born boy to her. Caterina, in turn, does the right thing in bringing the young infant to a hospital where he will receive the attention he needs.
The sweater in which the baby was found is Sister Caterina's only clue as to the identity of the parent who has abandoned him. The search brings the nun to Ernesto's dry cleaning place. When she approaches him, he admits it's his sweater, but he knows he hasn't left the infant in the park. For a while, Ernesto toys with the idea the baby could be his son, the product of a relationship with Teresa, who worked in his laundry, but now she is gone and he doesn't know for sure.
Ernesto is a hypochondriac; at one point he believes he is having a heart attack. Sister Caterina finds him and takes him to the hospital. He confesses as perhaps being the father, but Caterina realizes he has nothing to do with the boy. In their search for the mother of Fausto, as sister Caterina has named the baby, brings Ernesto closer to the nun, who takes a new significance in his life. Caterina, in spite of her doubts about taking the permanent bows, comes around to realize her life is to be dedicated to others less fortunate people.
Giuseppe Piccioni, the director of the film, makes an interesting story by creating the complex character of Caterina. This is a woman who begins having doubts because suddenly she realizes she has strong maternal instincts toward the defenseless baby she helped rescue. At the same time, she gets closer to Ernesto, although there is never a hint of a romance with this man, but he also needs her, as he has come to depend on her to try to make something out of his life. Mr. Piccioni has done wonders with this movie that clearly embraces life and commitment, in the case of Caterine, to her questioning faith.
The best thing in the film is Margherita Buy. We had admired this actress through her movies as she always casts an aura of serenity and beauty in everything she does. Her take on sister Caterina strikes the right tone from the start. We see Ms. Buy struggling to make sense in the big decision to continue as a nun, leaving everything she loves behind in order to do good in a foreign land. Silvio Orlando is equally excellent in his portrayal of Ernesto, who also has to look at his life and where he is going when he is touched by a stranger, in this case, a nun. Both actors work effortlessly in making this film a great one.
The film works thanks to Giuseppe Piccioni's marvelous direction in a movie that will stay with the viewer for quite some time.
The sweater in which the baby was found is Sister Caterina's only clue as to the identity of the parent who has abandoned him. The search brings the nun to Ernesto's dry cleaning place. When she approaches him, he admits it's his sweater, but he knows he hasn't left the infant in the park. For a while, Ernesto toys with the idea the baby could be his son, the product of a relationship with Teresa, who worked in his laundry, but now she is gone and he doesn't know for sure.
Ernesto is a hypochondriac; at one point he believes he is having a heart attack. Sister Caterina finds him and takes him to the hospital. He confesses as perhaps being the father, but Caterina realizes he has nothing to do with the boy. In their search for the mother of Fausto, as sister Caterina has named the baby, brings Ernesto closer to the nun, who takes a new significance in his life. Caterina, in spite of her doubts about taking the permanent bows, comes around to realize her life is to be dedicated to others less fortunate people.
Giuseppe Piccioni, the director of the film, makes an interesting story by creating the complex character of Caterina. This is a woman who begins having doubts because suddenly she realizes she has strong maternal instincts toward the defenseless baby she helped rescue. At the same time, she gets closer to Ernesto, although there is never a hint of a romance with this man, but he also needs her, as he has come to depend on her to try to make something out of his life. Mr. Piccioni has done wonders with this movie that clearly embraces life and commitment, in the case of Caterine, to her questioning faith.
The best thing in the film is Margherita Buy. We had admired this actress through her movies as she always casts an aura of serenity and beauty in everything she does. Her take on sister Caterina strikes the right tone from the start. We see Ms. Buy struggling to make sense in the big decision to continue as a nun, leaving everything she loves behind in order to do good in a foreign land. Silvio Orlando is equally excellent in his portrayal of Ernesto, who also has to look at his life and where he is going when he is touched by a stranger, in this case, a nun. Both actors work effortlessly in making this film a great one.
The film works thanks to Giuseppe Piccioni's marvelous direction in a movie that will stay with the viewer for quite some time.