Mileage may vary for “Marcello Mio,” a mostly charming but occasionally aggravating French farce by the writer-director Christophe Honoré where the actress Chiara Mastroianni — the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve — plays a version of herself warped by insecurities so intense they trigger a bout of paternal cosplay.
Early in the movie, Chiara reads a scene for a film by the director Nicole Garcia, who thinks that Chiara’s performance should channel Marcello rather than Catherine. The remark flips a switch in our leading nepo baby, and later that evening, she dons a black suit and Borsalino hat to gallivant about Paris as her father reincarnate.
In the days that follow, Chiara’s famous mother and peers (also playing themselves) have a hard time accepting her homage. Is it an act of spite or folly? Playfully dodging this question, Honoré does manage a handful of humorous set pieces and some visual interest; in a strong scene, Chiara as Marcello visits the actor Melvil Poupaud in a green room that transforms into an alleyway in period setting.
There is a prying sort of pleasure in watching Melvil (Chiara’s real-life ex) declare that he promised Marcello (with whom he once starred in a film) that he would look out for Chiara. Some might call it a “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” for fans of European cinema. Others might say it’s a trifle. The film’s ending, however, amounts to a bemused shrug.
Marcello Mio
In French, Italian and English with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours. In theaters.
