It can be genuinely difficult to present a serious message using humor, and when the attempt falls short, the intended meaning risks getting lost or muddied. That’s what happens, regrettably, in actor-director Paola Cortellesi's first feature film about women’s empowerment following World War II; it’s a somewhat perplexing release that doesn’t quite succeed in blending humor and drama while exploring its themes. The …

The film brought to mind those exquisitely shot Italian films from after the war, like something De Sica might have made with Sophia Loren. Here, we meet "Delia" (Paola Cortellesi), who's stuck with the rough “Ivano” (Valerio Mastandrea) and raising their three kids alongside her father-in-law, who isn’t doing so well. The romance has faded from their marriage, and brief chats with "Nino," a garage owner having a har…