When the phrase “nepo baby” gets thrown out in Christophe Honoré’s “Marcello Mio,” there is no escaping how jarring it sounds to the ear. Part of the surprise comes from the context in which it’s said: a sudden altercation with the closest thing this relaxed film has to an antagonist. However, it also stands out as an oddly modern interjection in what otherwise feels like a distinctly old-fashioned film. This is not a criticism, per se — the moment marks where it feels as though the two sensibilities have sharply come crashing together.
The moment also makes “Marcello Mio” a nepo baby movie to end all nepo baby movies.
Leave a Reply