Walking Genova

Last night I dreamed I was walking the narrow alley ways of Genova.

I was fresh from a movie preview of the evocative 'Genova' where the dishy Colin Firth dons his 'I'm gorgeous but tortured' look again and his young daughters spend hours wandering the streets. Afterwards it was all I could do to resist ordering a big plate of pasta for dinner.

I settled for a glass of Italian wine and a recap with friends. We decided the movie was a great view of the fascinating life of Genova and a well acted and scripted drama covering some of the tougher aspects of family life. It's for all those who have or have had teenagers, those who have made or will make mistakes in life and anyone who has or longs to travel to Italy.

Expect plenty of Genova city scenes, a few visits to the beach and a seaside lunch, a wander through Cinque Terre National Park and some ghostly apparitions.

And if you've ever wondered what it's like to ride a Vespa - this is as close as you're going to get on film.

Michael Winterbottom's most intimate, evocative film to date, the film won the coveted 'Best Director' award at the recent San Sebastian Film Festival.