Parents who send their kids off to university should have support groups. Not all parents need them, but some may not know what to do once their adult child has flown the nest. This is especially true for families with only one child. At the very least, a few therapy sessions before the fall departure might help. Actor-turned-director Anna Foglietta’s feature film debut, “A Common Story,” offers no such support for the parents, but the void in their family gradually leads to a marital crisis that rings all too familiar. After premiering at last month’s Venice International Film Festival, the film will screen this week at the Chicago International Film Festival.

When we meet this Italian family of three, it’s clear Erica (Alba Rohrwacher) and Mauro (Guido Caprino) have played specific roles since their child, Irene (Ksenia Borzak), was born. She works as a cashier at a local grocery store, while he works in construction for his father Marcello’s (Elio De Capitani) business and coaches a youth football team on the side. It’s safe to assume Irene is the first in the family to pursue higher education, which has increased her parents’ pride in her.

For Erica, this is a life change she is unprepared for, since she has spent all her time preparing for Irene to leave. Her days had a structure she could rely on and look forward to, giving her a sense of purpose: each morning she woke up early to bake a bundt cake for breakfast, then checked in with her mother, Altea (Caterina Casini), after work to bring her groceries. She cleaned the house and cooked meals at both her home and her mother’s. This usefulness gave her life meaning. However, she’s nearly 45 now and finds herself adrift with her daughter out of the house. Erica never had to stop and think about who she was, or pause for any other self-analysis, while Irene lived at home. But now she finds herself stuck, unsure what to do with the free time she once devoted to Irene.

It’s understandable that either or both parents would feel a vacancy in their lives with their child gone. However, there’s no denying that a certain amount of freedom could be enjoyed as well. Dinner with friends could now be spontaneous, and sex doesn’t have to be scheduled around whether or not Irene is present. Without Irene around, Erica and Mauro are forced to face their relationship. They have gotten more comfortable as partners, or roommates, that they have forgotten how to be lovers, or in love. This becomes confusing and problematic for both of them, but it’s something that’s been simmering under the surface for some time.

Erica isn’t even able to grasp that she’s spiraling into depression, and therefore, she’s unable to share these feelings of uselessness with Mauro. He can’t comprehend what she’s experiencing, probably because he doesn’t normally do what Erika did when Irene was there. He’s grown used to Erika having dinner (or any meal, for that matter) ready when he comes home from work. He feels a void in a different way than Erica does. Soon they will both have to come to terms with who they are without their child around, and what to do about where they’re at.

Foglietta has an incredible knack for letting a scene play out simply, with space and time. Perhaps because of her experience as an actor, she knows that what is unsaid is often more powerful than any line of dialogue. Her direction and the screenplay she co-wrote with Tania Pedroni and Matteo Ferri are a gift to Rohrwacher and Caprino, both exceptional together. As Erica, Rohrwacher has a remarkable talent for portraying someone emotionally stuck and unbalanced after being the family’s foundation. As Mauro, Caprino plays a tricky role that could’ve easily been a man eager to maintain stereotypical gender dynamics and duties, but he’s genuinely baffled by the change he sees in his wife. It’s natural for him to wonder whether she still loves him or whether they should even be together. Through cold dinners, unfinished conversations, and awkward family humiliations, they both begin to wonder the same thing.

Mauro is going through internal struggles Erica is unaware of, and, more importantly, neither is he. As a man working in construction, he’s expected to hold everything in and keep it together. He fixes things, but he’ll have to learn he can’t fix Erica or their relationship. It doesn’t help that he’s endured emasculation from his father when he learns Marcello sold the family business without telling him. Suddenly without a job, he wonders what his role is.

Foglietta and her cinematographer, Andrea Benjamin Manenti, capture the couple in a sensitive, artful way. At times, Erica and Mauro are shot from a distance, instantly symbolizing where they are in life. Other scenes show them through the windows of their parked car, with angles shifting and the camera closing in on them as their heated argument escalates into a raw meltdown. Their interaction is truly relatable, showing two people who cannot express their vulnerability yet feel an intense need to.

How can these two come to terms with where they are at if they can’t even see themselves? A pivotal moment comes when Erica calls a customer service representative after seeing an infomercial for a face cream while home alone. She is asked questions she has probably never thought of: what is her skin type? Is it oily or dry? She goes to a mirror and, so transfixed by what she sees, hangs up. Seeing herself in a different light is perplexing, and she finds herself in a moment she’s unprepared for. It’s a scene that reinforces Rohrwacher as the heart and soul of the story.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film that captures a middle-aged married couple so authentically and genuinely. I found myself rooting for both of them to work things out, and that’s quite rare. Obviously, couples drift apart and fall out of love sometimes, but it’s relieving to see that’s not happening here. My hope is that this film gets global distribution and reaches a wider audience that appreciates it as much as I do.

RATING: ***1/2

“A Common Story” will screen this week at the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF): Tuesday, October 20th at 5:30 pm & Wednesday, October 21st at 2 pm.