I am Maltese, and while I support the local talents and directors. This movie was terrible. The acting alone is terrible (forced reactions). I do understand this is a comedy drama sort of thing, however the characters are neither "likable" or "credible" in any way. They just don't seem real.

The only thing good about this movie is the scenery, apart from that... don't waste your time. There are other better movies out there.

I don't know how people are rating this 8/10. It is either those who are related or affiliated with the director, or people who just want to artificially bump up the rating of this terrible movie.

I'm a big fan of natascha mcelhone and I'm so glad I have seen her performances in other films, before watching this. I can't remember having dragged myself through a worse movie in many, many, many years. It's awful. The story is thin at best and the acting is amateurish beyond belief and the songs from this will keep me up at night for weeks to come. Scenery is nice though, that's it. I'm sorry, but there's absolutely nothing to like about this movie, except for how gorgeous Natasha McElhone looks, while she does her lines with a bad accent. I've seen school plays more convincing than this garbage. Please do not trust high star reviews of this, you will not be rewarded for your time, nor patience.

It's a comedy-drama set in the 1980s in the Republic of Malta. It follows the life of a late-40s woman after the sudden death of her older brother. She had served as a housekeeper for her Catholic priest brother for 30 years. It's loosely based on the life experience of the director's aunt.

Carmen (Natascha McElhone)'s family forced her to look after her brother, Father Francis (Henry Zammit Cordina),from age 16. He is austere and disliked by his small-town parish. After his death, another priest plans to come. The new priest's sister, Rita (Michaela Farrugia),will look after him.

Carmen has nowhere to go, but God keeps supplying signs to guide her. Some of the options she chooses are engaging and very funny. At one point, Carmen has a relationship with a young pawnbroker, Paulo (Steven Love),which includes more drama. Throughout, we have flashbacks to a relationship she had as a young girl with an Arab boy, Ahmad (Chakid Zidi).

There is a resolution of sorts by the end, though some story threads are incomplete.

This engaging movie is about blossoming in middle age after three decades of repressed living. Natascha McElhone is excellent, as is Steven Love as Paulo. Many of the fringe players are also very good. The cinematography makes full use of Malta's beauty. Highly recommended.

The director grew up in Toronto but had a Maltese heritage. The film is a joint Canadian-Malta project.