La Chimera (2023) Dir: Alice Rohrwacher
- Ridley Coote
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
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This highly acclaimed Italian independent film, produced by Curzon, and directed by Alice Rohrwacher, has been on my watchlist for a long time. It is one of the highest rated films of the decade, and is very much revered by its fans. In fact, many people describe it as one of the best films of the decade, which, as we traverse the halfway point of said-decade, is no mean feat. I was always going to watch this film at some point, and bow was the perfect opportunity.
The film boasted some truly beautiful cinematography, with a number of tasty shots that caught my attention and lingered in my mind. The slick editing made those shots even more satisfying - the crisp cuts were particularly notable, in this regard. I loved how these filmmaking techniques played into the way the film infused itself with spirituality and magical realism - it was beautiful.
The film featured some wonderfully simple and subtle bits of comedy, often delivered in an off-beat manner, which really worked for me. The stereotypical Italian exuberance of the people in the film meant that all the characters showed a lot of personality, even if they didn't necessarily have many lines of dialogue. This fed into the story, particularly with such a comparitively subdued protagonist, which was told as much through facial expressions and eyes, as much as it was words. The ending was very cliché, but it worked within the confines of the narrative, and brought one of the quieter elements of the story full circle quite nicely.
Characterisation was a huge part of this film, and whilst Josh O'Connor's deliberately awkward and withdrawn performance could have come across as plain and miserable, his ability to convey inner emotions with very subtle acting was top tier, and means that the emotional heart and intent of the film carried very nicely. I'd even go so far as to call this my favourite performance of O'Connor's to-date.
Carol Duarte's supporting performance was quite wonderful. She had such an endearing sparkle to her smiles, which made her impossible to dislike, and her believable, yet quietly eccentric, qualities made for compelling viewing. Alba Rohrwacher only appeared very briefly in the film, but absolutely stole every moment she was on-screen. I adored her charismatic, intelligent and slightly teasing performance - it was fantastic. I should also like to mention the legendary Isabella Rossellini for her supporting role in this film, as well as Vincenzo Nemolato, who was extremely memorable as well.
Overall, I found this to be a delightfully characterful independent film, which took a unique and meaningful look at death rituals, spirituality, and archeology, all while exploring the nuanced confines of a very interesting, yet distant, protagonist. Some aspects of the film were a little clichéd in nature, especially the ending, as I mentioned above, but none of it felt so cliché that is was significantly detrimental to the rest of the film. This was a hugely enjoyable piece of Italian cinema, which went a long way in showing just how good its main actor can be.
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