L’Immensita
Director: Emanuele Crialese
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Vincenzo Amato, Luana Giuliani
Penélope Cruz dazzles in this vibrant tale of family dysfunction and multi-generational unhappiness set in 1970s Rome that explores gender identity, mental health and turbulent relationships, which makes imaginative use of director Emanuele Crialese’s own biography.
The film follows the story of an unhappy married couple – deeply unsatisfied expatriate Spaniard Clara (Cruz) and abusive, unfaithful businessman Felice (Giuliani). Having just moved to a new apartment, their marriage is loveless and Clara finds refuge from her loneliness in the shelter of her special relationships with her three children.
Their eldest child, 12-year-old Adriana is in a state of refusal of her name and her identity, and her dogged pursuit of trying to convince everyone that she is a boy brings the already fragile stability of her family to breaking point. As the children search around them for guidance everything changes, both inside and outside of themselves.
2022 / Italy, France / 99 mins
Language: Italian with English Subtitles
BBFC Advice: Contains sexual threat, domestic abuse, discrimination, infrequent strong language