Magnificent sun-drenched locations and a lolling atmosphere of sensuality don't make up for an awfully thin story in this feature from director-screenwriter Emanuele Crialese. The tale of an emotionally unstable young mother living on Lampedusa, a remote island off the coast of Sicily, and the reactions of her fellow islanders to her increasingly erratic behavior, "Respiro" is supposedly based on a local legend but plays more like a soap opera. Valeria Golino, who effortlessly divides her career between working in American and Italian films, plays the central role of Grazia, the beautiful wife of a fisherman and a mother of three who is prone to extravagant mood swings.

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