December 3, 2010 -- This elegant soap opera from Italy reminded me a bit of “The English Patient” in that it involves an extra-marital affair that leads to tragedy. It even has a hospital scene, as most soap operas do. This compact story unfolds against an elegant urbane backdrop. The acting is superb and the melodrama is dialed down to a much more believable level than it was in long, rambling overpraised epic that was “The English Patient.”

Tilda Swinton stars in this romantic drama set in Milan. Swinton stars as Russian-born Emma Recchi, wife of a powerful and wealthy man, Tancredi Recchi (played by Pippo Delbono). Tancredi heads a family-owned textile company. Tancredi is a stern, disciplined, demanding man who sets high standards for his sons, Edo (Flavio Parenti) and Gianluca (Mattia Zaccaro). There is a sub-plot involving homosexuality in the story. This subtext helps set up a scene which is absolutely stunning in its surprise factor. I don't know if this effect is intentional or not, but if it was it was very cleverly arranged indeed.

The rest of the film unfolds as you would expect a soap opera to unfold, with the usual tragedy that results from sin. This part is a bit too formulaic and too contrived. The tragedy is not the result of a believable plot development. Rather it is a result of a well-worn plot formula. This is a failing of many screenplays which rely too much on formulas. I don't mind the formula as long as it unfolds in a believable manner. Other than this one incident, the rest of the story works well enough, even though the ending is a bit weak, and the acting is very good. There is some nudity in the film and some several steamy sex scenes.

Tilda Swinton is very good in the lead role, and is admiringly backed by some strong supporting performances. The sets are dazzling and the film has a polished look. I had a bit of trouble with the overly self-indulgent aspect of the film's morality. It seems more French than Italian in that regard. It could be this has something to do with feminist equality, also I know little of Italian mores, so I'm willing to give it a pass on that. This film should be a strong contender for an Academy Award next year if it qualifies as an entry in the best foreign film category. This film rates a B.

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Copyright © 2010 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
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