by Lisa Nystrom
Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Emanuela Fanelli, Giorgio Colangeli, Vinicio Marchioni
Intro:
… a sincere balance of humour and heart that avoids conforming to too many of the expected archetypes.
Darkly comedic, at times absurdist, yet consistently absorbing, this drama earned the place of highest grossing film of 2023 in Italy. Beautifully shot in black and white, there are undeniable echoes of post-war European cinema in both the setting and structure. Reminiscent of the work of neorealists Guiseppe De Santis and Roberto Rossellini, director Paola Cortellesi captures the intricate balance between struggle and elation that is everyday survival in 1940s Rome.
Largely known for her comedic work, Cortellesi tackles some heavy themes in her directorial debut, while also shouldering the role of lead actress. Cortellesi stars as Delia, a devoted mother of three and long-suffering wife to the overbearing Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea). Playing constant caretaker to her family, including Ivano’s bedridden brute of a father, Delia finds hope for a better life in the most unexpected of places — a gifted chocolate bar from an American soldier, a joyful engagement announcement from her beloved daughter, and a mysterious letter addressed to her in the mail. However, where Delia sees blessings, Ivano sees opportunities to deliver punishment and pain, forcing Delia to take action if she wants her life to truly change.
Presenting confronting scenes of domestic violence in a film with comedic beats is not a safe or easy feat, but it’s an endeavour that the film is mostly successful in, thanks to the conscious decision to never portray the violence itself as a joke. While humour is skilfully peppered throughout what would otherwise be emotionally taxing, the script doesn’t make light of Delia’s situation. Choreographing the abuse as a dance, complete with love ballad playing in the background could feel trivialising of the severity of the moment, but Cortellesi does a masterful job of maintaining the desperation of a woman trapped and terrified despite having no dialogue during these scenes, building an eerie sense of tension alongside the swelling notes of the song. The soundtrack itself is a brilliant blend of contemporary and classic, lending an unexpected element to the storytelling that’s mismatched yet perfectly complementary.
While no punchline or resolution could ever feel fully satisfactory given the core conflict of the film, the story is a sincere balance of humour and heart that avoids conforming to too many of the expected archetypes. Instead, it makes what could have been a bleak and gratuitous tale one of empowerment and, above all, a touching celebration of the hope that stems from possibility.
