Starting in Italy in 1952, we see some expectant gents awaiting the birth of a baby. A son! Thing is, the gradually sickening father and his wife can't quite agree on how he is developing. The film takes us swiftly to his own adulthood - he is now an artist, with his own child, and their own problems. It's a film about growing up and changing attitudes that is quite interesting as we move away from the austerity of the post war years and into the more relaxed 2000s, but it's a bit over-scored and the narrative is a little messy. It's not always clear just what's going on but as a circle of life...