A drama set in different locations during the last six days of life of Eluana Englaro, a young woman who lived 17 years in a vegetative state, as a mosaic of characters comes into focus.

Italian maestro Marco Bellocchio has never achieved the same recognition as his contemporary Bertolucci, despite his classic debut Fists in the Pocket. But this cinematic firebrand is even better, and his recent work exudes the risky energy and stylish bravado of a politically committed Scorsese.