What do three grown children do with Dad after his wife of 40 years dies? The kids in “Living Afterwards” want to close the small family hotel their parents had run for so many years and install their father in an apartment. 
Then a young and very pregnant woman arrives asking for a room, and it’s clear that Dad intends to keep the hotel open. In coming to terms with their father’s grief, the siblings realize how far their own lives have gone astray. “Living Afterwards” (B+) is a lovely and touching film about love, loss and grief.
Gianni Di Gregorio is back and I’m glad he is! Although “The Salt of Life” isn’t exactly a sequel to that delightful Italian comedy “Mid-August Lunch” (CIFF 34), some of the sam
e characters are here, and Gianni is still the quintessential mamma’s boy. Now retired from his job, Gianni’s wife leaves him each morning with a long to-do list of chores, but Gianni is looking for his “little bit on the side.” B for the laughs and beautiful Roma.
“Missed Connections” was my first-ever total dud at the film festival. This one should come with a warning for moviegoers over the age of 30. Stupid plot, sophomoric humor, inane dialogue, and actresses with irritating voices. I know I’m in the minority here—they added a late screening, but this movie missed connecting with me. D for this one.
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