NZIFF Film Review: "La Chimera" (2023).

From the director of The Wonders (Le meraviglie) comes La Chimera. This period romantic drama film directed by Alice Rohrwacher, and written by Rohrwacher, Carmela Covino and Marco Pettenello. Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth. For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina. To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goes inside the earth – in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak. In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera.

The film stars Josh O'Connor, Isabella Rossellini, and Alba Rohrwacher. The film manages to examine its entire cast of characters, male and female, in a loving but clear and pitiless light. Almost every moment feels real and unrehearsed because the characters' specific qualities work inward rather than outward. O'Connor is splendid in the lead and Rohrwacher's patient approach gives the viewer plenty of time to explore the landscapes through which we travel, inviting awkward questions about what it means to be free or to be saved.

Even though the ending, overwhelmed with too many allegories and religious symbolism, doesn't measure up to the rest of the film, the film ratifies this filmmaker as one of the most valuable in contemporary cinema. One always has the sense of being in the hands of a filmmaker who understands how to create a tangible world that is so interesting to explore, and the film accomplishes that with a confident hand that draws you further into its overall messages. Rohrwacher's film inventively examines how people react to redemption: how they exploit it, how they resent it, how they distrust it, and how that altruism somehow finds a way. The cast is great, and so is the always excellent Alba Rohrbacher. And the Hélène Louvart-lensed cinematography is gorgeous. But the real star is Alice Rohrwacher. This slow, but well-paced drama, unexpectedly unfolds as a slice of traditional folklore, sitting somewhere between classic Italian neorealism and fantastical storytelling. Revisit Plato's cave in a modern tale and how the culture define our social behavior, as Margaret Mead Said. A contemporary anthropological new cinema. A must. Aided by excellent, incantational sound-mixing and wonderful unforced performances, Rorhwacher creates a recognisable and authentic vision of Italy miles apart, yet equally as fantastical, as that in Call Me By Your Name. A great-looking film that dares to give a familiar period romantic drama an ultrarealistic spin. It's a blessed feeling to be in the hands of such remarkable storytellers. The film is a memorable and compelling experience that manages to blend fantasy and reality in a way that is both beautiful, satirical and enlightening all at once. Highly recommended.

Simon says La Chimera receives:

Also, see my reviews for The Wonders (Le meraviglie) and Munekata Sisters (宗方姉妹).