Review by John Delia
If you are into dramas that manipulate your mind, have interesting characters that captivate and a script that vacillates down to the last touching moment, look no further than The Wait (L’Attesa). The acting is superb, the direction inventive, and the storyline, although a bit convoluted, very good. Combined with a charismatic location that should tantalize would be travelers and sets that reveal the iconic charm of Sicily, the film offers lasting visions of this gorgeous area where it was shot.
The film opens with a funeral identified by Anna (Juliette Binoche) as the death of her brother. It sets a somber mood that throws a shadow over her large estate in a small village in Sicily. It’s also Easter season which adds to the dark shroud that the family’s experiencing. Within the dismal atmosphere Jeanne (Lou de Laâge), the girlfriend of Anna’s son Giuseppe, has arrived at the airport from Paris for an unannounced visit. She arrives at the villa with Anna’s driver Pietro and gets rebuked by the bereaving matriarch. Sometime that evening Anna visits Jeanne with a message from Giuseppe that he has been delayed by business.
So begins a moving drama that touches the heats of both women as they try to work out Jeanne’s untimely visit. Director Piero Messina attempts to do what only a handful of filmmakers have accomplished, deal with an intrinsic problem over a period of time that will hold an audience captive throughout. To do this he uses his camera lenses to focus in on the two central characters. With lengthy close-ups he draws out their inner dispositions before they respond to each other during casual conversations. In several instances we find that both women have something to hide, holding back dark secrets while avoiding the truth.
Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche brings a brooding woman to the screen. She’s despondent, yet knows that Jeanne is an important person in her son’s life. But, she’s also transfixed on her recent loss and Jeanne becomes a distraction to her mourning. The film has a perfect character for Binoche and she milks it for a full engaging performance. She received a Best Actress award for The Wait (L’Attesa) at the Bari International Film Festival in Italy.
In support of her performance Lou De Laâge puts a good measure of patience into her role as the girlfriend that has come from Paris to Sicily to visit Giuseppe. With her hat in her hand, the first meeting with Anna doesn’t go very well. Thinking that Giuseppe had told her about their feelings for each other, that he had informed his mother she was coming. But as things cool down, the two women get to know each other better and this is where De Laâge shines. Her natural beauty coupled with an innocent charm, helps her to share the screen with Binoche, even in some very demanding moments.
The Wait (L’Attesa) has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains language, nudity and drug use. The film is shown in French and some Italian with English subtitles.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very unusual film with stellar acting. (B)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Lou De Laâge, Domenico Diele,
Antonio Folletto, And Corinna Locastro
Directed and Written By: Piero Messina
Genre: Drama, Foreign (French/Italian)
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.
Release Date: May 20, 2016
Distributed by: Oscilloscope Laboratories
OPENS TOMORROW June 10, 2016 AT:
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Phone: (561) 549-2600 for showtimes and directions