ReviewThree Goodbyes movie review: Alba Rohrwacher stars in moving, life-affirming Italian drama
Isabel Coixet’s adaptation of Michela Murgia’s celebrated novel highlights how we should appreciate what we have in the time gifted to us
3.5/5 stars
The first Italian-language feature from prolific Catalan filmmaker Isabel Coixet, Three Goodbyes is an emotional, ultimately life-affirming adaptation of Michela Murgia’s celebrated 2023 semi-autobiographical novel, published shortly before her death.
Anchored by a commanding central performance from Alba Rohrwacher, it charts the efforts of a high-school teacher in Rome to navigate a series of potentially life-altering challenges.
When her long-term partner, Antonio (Elio Germano), announces unexpectedly that he is leaving her, Marta (Rohrwacher) is immediately overwhelmed, both emotionally and physically. Her interfering yet well-meaning younger sister Elisa (Silvia D’Amico) insists that Marta see a gastroenterologist, and the subsequent diagnosis deals her a devastating blow.
Rather than sending her deeper into despair, however, the news that her time is limited presents Marta with a reinvigorated perspective on the world and her place in it. She becomes more invested in the personal struggles of her students and welcomes the attention of her handsome colleague, Agostino (Francesco Carril).