An Italian Drama Viewers May Need Patience To Truly Enjoy This Film

Swamy Rotolo's Performance Was Just What The Film Needed And For Director Jonas Carpignano He Can Surely Make A Drama Film As Intense As You Think.

This third film by Jonas Carpignano made you feel alive and ponder real life thoughts presented in an exaggerated cinematic way. It was the fact that we were able to keep our innocence yet still act upon the un-ignorable curiosities through the eyes of Chiara, that made this movie engaging for the full 2 hrs. Because of what we saw her go through we understood why she had made the choice she did at the end. We also know why because we know what she didn't go through, in reference to being groomed like her older sister who already knew what was going down. Her not knowing enough about the family eventually pushed her away because nobody was teaching her from a younger age, perhaps they wanted her to learn on her own. Perhaps her sister learned on her own but that's theoretical. Perhaps they even hoped she'd get out and be different and that's why they kept her in the dark.

She knew she was her only way out and it simply took stepping into that other world to find out it wasn't for her. Her father even told her as well that she should've stayed with the cops which was ironic. I really like this film because the real life issues are in the fabric, picking the people you want around you, seeing how the people around you could affect your life,dealing with having the self courage to choose what's right for you even though it may hurt the people around you, this film is very deep if you can see through the murky waters of Gioia Tauro through the eyes of the clandestine aura that fulfills Calabria. Carpignano also snapped on a bunch of close ups that added a great level dramatization to the characters and feeling of the film overall similar to A Ciambra. This is a must watch.

The premise and plot are good. Actors did a good job too. My main objections are three:

1. I didn't like the handheld shaky cam cinematography. I thought it was inappropriate for the story and made it difficult to get perspective on the settings.

2. They don't really explain much about Chiara as a person. All of the energy is given to how she reacts to certain situations, but there's not much explanation for why she, unlike her sister, reacts as she does. We are expected to take a lot for granted.

3. They could have cut 30 minutes from this movie without losing anything. The first half in particular takes forever to get where it's going.

All in all, it's worth a watch. I am surprised it won a major award at Cannes. It seems very film student-y to me. Lots of good ideas weighed down by not knowing when to stop with the cinematic flourishes and just get to the storytelling.