Family is everything. But what family actually is gets left up to the individual. For people with difficult families of origin, the idea of family can be a struggle, and we may even want to change what that looks like. Luckily, humans have the capacity for deep empathy and changing definitions. Some of us find our chosen families as adults, others in adolescence. But none of this changes that these people are family. There is no delineation between “real” family and the ones that we choose; those bonds are just as strong. But, of course, the original idea of family focuses on a mother, father, and their children. And connections just as strong can be built even if that family has no blood relation.
A Mosquito in the Ear, based on the graphic novel “Una Zanzara nell’Orecchio” written by Andrea Ferraris, shows us the story of a young couple, Daniela (Nazanin Boniadi) and Andrew (Jake Lacy). They have traveled from the United States to India to adopt a young girl, Sarvari (Ruhi Pal). Those of us who have seen well-meaning stories about a white family adopting a child of a different culture might already have our hackles up, but luckily, the steady hand of director Nicola Rinciari never allows the film to dip into savior territory. The screenplay, also by Rinciari, avoids proselytizing about race and cultural commentary directly.
As the film opens, it smartly focuses on the relationship between Daniela and Andrew. The idea of adopting a child must be one that engenders a lot of thoughts and conversations between partners. The subtle dialogue written between the two contains kindness, humor, and a real back-and-forth that lets us into the relationship without ever detailing lengthy history or awkward monologues. Boniadi, in particular, is a standout. The way she makes eye contact with Lacy alone provides a chemistry that speaks of years together and an understanding of their combined relationship. Lacy is also quite good, even if he is playing a type of character at which he is practiced. Throughout his career, especially in films like Obvious Child and Carol, he has mastered the well-meaning man who is a bit out of his depth.
As the film travels into India, it also manages to avoid any judgment of the differences in culture. When they arrive at the orphanage and meet with Sister Aruna (Micky Singh), the film really opens up. This is no longer the simple story of a couple adopting a child. This is also a look at systemic loss of funding and how it affects the people that need it most. Singh’s performance, at first, is a difficult one to capture. In moments, she is stern, but then switches once she is with Sarvari. But, by the end of the film, hers is a role that comes together in a lovely way that pushes the film into a different echelon, making us understand the importance of all kinds of families and caretaking.
However, watching Lacy and Boniadi as they struggle through the beginnings of parenthood cannot help but pull at the heartstrings. As Sarvari only speaks Hindi, communication is a recurring theme. Desperate to find connection and joy in this child, it is easy from the outside to know the mistakes they are making. But Rinciari does excellent work putting us in their perspective. These are people who are desperate to be parents, but do not yet understand how difficult this can be. We all know it in a general sense, but the day-to-day of parenting can only be fully understood once you are in the trenches. There are a few dramatic moments that the screenplay also expertly plays for comedy. For example, the only thing that Sarvari will eat is ketchup, which leads to her getting sick later that night. The sight of Andrew carrying a ketchup-red stained sheet into the elevator of the hotel and talking to another guest, especially in a place where English is not the main language, is expertly transformed into awkward comedy by Lacy’s amiable presence.
The film, and likely the graphic novel, does take some overdramatic turns which provide a bit of a shortcut to dealing with nearly unsolvable problems, but A Mosquito in the Ear is so heartfelt that even these moments are easy to accept. The film moves us along in the hearts and minds of Daniela and Andrew just enough to get our hearts pumping when things start to go wrong. It is nearly impossible not to root for this burgeoning family.
A Mosquito in the Ear is a genuine, lovely look at the power of familial love, regardless of biological connection. In his debut feature, Nicola Rinciari crafts a surprisingly subtle look at not only cross-cultural adoption, but also the difficulties of building parental bonds when things don’t go exactly as planned. This is a film that is easy to access, focused, and smartly created to engender kindness in the harsh world around us.
A Mosquito in the Ear is currently available on Digital platforms courtesy of Persimmon.
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A Mosquito in the Ear is a genuine, lovely look at the power of familial love, regardless of biological connection.
Dave is a lifelong film fan who really got his start in the independent film heyday of the 90’s. Since then, he has tried to branch out into arthouse, international, and avant garde film. Despite that, he still enjoys a good romcom or action movie. His goal is to always expand his horizons, through writing and watching new movies.
