The Keys to the House is a 2004 Italian drama film based on the story Born Twice (Italian title: Nati due volte) telling the story of a young father meeting his handicapped son for the first time and attempts to forge a relationship with the teenager. The film was directed by Gianni Amelio. Although selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 77th Academy Awards, it was not nominated.
Plot
Gianni (Kim Rossi Stuart) has left his handicapped son Paolo (Andrea Rossi) in the care of others since his birth. He has not been able to cope with Paolo’s mother’s death in childbirth or that Paolo has not developed like other children because of his handicap. Paolo is now fifteen and is about to meet his father for the first time. Gianni has been asked by his son's caretakers to bring him to a Berlin hospital for yearly tests and check-ups. According to their doctor, the "shock" of meeting his father could help Paolo in his treatment.
When Gianni boards the night train on which Paolo is already travelling, it is Gianni who is in for a shock. Paolo does not seem particularly impressed nor disturbed by this first meeting with his biological father. He seems more interested in his Game Boy instead. Gianni and Nicole (Charlotte Rampling) meet accidentally in the Berlin hospital and, even though he feels awkward and almost ashamed at being seen as having fathered "such a child", they connect. Nicole has spent her life caring for her daughter and could teach Gianni something if only he were willing to listen. Through a series of chance encounters aided by a book left behind by Nicole (Born Twice Italian title: Nati due volte, incidentally the book on which the film is based), they meet several times and get talking.
Reception
Critical response
The Keys to the House has an approval rating of 77% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews, and an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Favoring subtlety over cheap sentimentality, The Keys to the House is emotionally honest, compassionate, and a genuine tear-jerker".1 Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".2
Awards and nominations
The film has won nine awards and fourteen nominations.
2004
In the same year of its release (2004) it won four awards and one nomination in the Venice Film Festival:
| Award | Category/Recipient |
|---|---|
| 'CinemAvvenire' Award | Best Film |
| Pasinetti Award | Best Actor |
| Pasinetti Award | Best Film |
| Sergio Trasatti Award | Gianni Amelio |
| Nomination | Category/Recipient |
|---|---|
| Golden Lion | Gianni Amelio |
2005
In the second year (2005) it won:
One award and six nominations in the David di Donatello Awards:
| Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| David | Best Sound (Migliore Fonico di Presa Diretta) Alessandro Zanon |
| Nomination | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| David | Best Actor (Migliore Attore Protagonista) |
| David | Best Director (Migliore Regista) |
| David | Best Editing (Migliore Montatore) |
| David | Best Film (Miglior Film) Enzo Porcelli Gianni Amelio (director) |
| David | Best Music (Migliore Musicista) |
| David | Best Screenplay (Migliore Sceneggiatura) |
Three awards and five nominations in the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists:
| Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| Silver Ribbon | Best Cinematography (Migliore Fotografia) |
| Silver Ribbon | Best Director (Regista del Miglior Film Italiano) |
| Silver Ribbon | Best Sound (Migliore Presa Diretta) Alessandro Zanon |
| Nomination | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| Silver Ribbon | Best Actor (Migliore Attore Protagonista) |
| Silver Ribbon | Best Editing (Miglior Montaggio) |
| Silver Ribbon | Best Producer (Migliore Produttore) Enzo Porcelli |
| Silver Ribbon | Best Screenplay (Miglior Sceneggiatura) |
| Silver Ribbon | Best Supporting Actor (Migliore Attore non Protagonista) |
and two nominations in the Young Artist Awards:
| Nomination | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| Young Artist Awards | Best International Feature Film |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in an International Feature Film - Leading Young Performance Andrea Rossi |
2006
In the third year (2006) it won:
One award in the Turia Awards:
| Award | Category/Recipients(s) |
|---|---|
| Turia Awards | Best Foreign Film |
See also
- List of submissions to the 77th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Italian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
External links
References
"The Keys to the House". Rotten Tomatoes. September 9, 2004. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chiavi_di_casa ↩
"The Keys to the House". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-keys-to-the-house ↩