Both Castellitto and Cruz received critical praise for their performances, as well as several awards, including the prestigious David di Donatello.

As she is operated upon, Timoteo looks out of a window to see (or imagines seeing) a woman, her back facing him, proceeding to sit down on a chair in the rain outside.

Italia, a woman of Albanian origin working at the bar and wearing red heels, offers to let him make a seemingly important call from her home.

On his chiding her, Italia tells him agitatedly that she has had their child aborted at a nearby gypsy's, adding bitterly it was for the best as she would not have made a good mother anyway.

She is rushed to the local hospital, where an ultrasound reveals her belly to be full of blood, indicating a botched abortion.

In the final act, a relieved Timoteo takes out Italia's red shoe, which she had lost on the way to the hospital the day she died, and that the funeral company had refused to put in the closed coffin, and which he had carefully preserved, and kisses it as a gesture of thanks.

Penélope Cruz, who learned Italian for the role, earned critical acclaim for her performance and won the David di Donatello.