14/41
Narrative
1944, Vermiglio, a remote mountain village. The arrival of runaway Pietro in the family of a local teacher and his love for the teacher’s eldest daughter will change the course of everyone’s lives. Italy’s official entry in the “Best International Feature Film” category at the 97th Oscars in 2025. Closer mentioned: Why do we need film festivals? (2024) is beautifully photographed and well acted, but nothing interesting happens in 2 hours. Many plot threads are started but never completed; There are too many characters to allow depth of characterization or for the audience to identify with any of them. There is no clear message or revelation. The film is clearly designed to please the art world brethren who subsidize the production of such films to the public. To this end, the director is so concerned with maintaining seriousness that he leaves no trace of humor: everyone behaves in what the Germans call animal seriousness.