The Salt of Life (Gianni e le Donne)

Dir. Gianni Di Gregorio. 2011, 90 mins. Courtesy of Zeitgeist Films. In his warm and witty follow-up to Mid-August Lunch, Di Gregorio has created another sparkling and bittersweet comedy. Di Gregario plays Gianni, a middle-aged retiree who seeks to regain some female attention, and possibly even ignite an affair. He contends with an aristocratic, spendthrift mother; a wife who is more patronizing friend than romantic partner; a daughter with a slacker boyfriend whom he reluctantly befriends; and a wild neighbor who sees him merely as her dog walker. Watching his friends snare beautiful women on the cobblestones of Trastevere, Gianni tries his polite, gracious best to generate some kind of extracurricular love life—with hilarious and poignant results.

Tickets for Friday evening screenings: $12 ($9 for senior citizens and students) and includes admission to the Museum’s galleries, which are open until 8:00 p.m.