REVIEWS

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  Directed by Mario Roccato  |  Reviewed by Adva Reichman ‘Writing About a Love’ is a beautiful film that follows Francesca, a young actress, who mourns the death of her friend, and what she feels like might be the end of her relationship. She wishes to find a meaning in life again, and through it, happiness, but the journey is far from easy. What started as a passionate fulfilling relationship evolved into a lonely space where two people exist side by side, but never share it together. Francesca confides with her therapist and admits that whenever she wants to leave the house, she substitute that desire with being intimate with her husband. Her husband isn’t blind to the situation and accuses her of exchanging her serene and cheerful spirit with a melancholic one. After Francesca’s friend dies, Francesca struggles to find a way to combat her fear of death, feeling unable to reconcile with its role in life. Her husband and her had drifted apart, and when her pain is answered with numbness, her sense of loneliness increases. Francesca finds refuge with her therapist, where she can speak, be listened to, and not judged. Overtime, Francesca confuses that feeling with intimate ones, and endangers the only place that allows her to be herself. To her surprise, her therapist asks her to keep her distance since he too finds himself facing the hard questions of life, and feeling trapped by the fear of death. Meanwhile, her husband finds his own way to cope with their problems… Will Francesca face her fears? Will she change her life and find happiness? And with who? You’ll have to watch to find out. The film has a naturalistic style and focuses around Francesca’s journey and its impact on those around her. The director emphasizes the different chapters in the film by breaking them apart, and naming them, thus specifying their role in the movie. He allows us into Francesca’s dreams, so we can see her process from the most intimate point of view. The music captures Francesca’s mood, and help navigates the plot. The cinematography is carefully planned, and while I think there was room for improvement, it is easy to see the thought behind it. Simona di Sarno, who plays the lead, Francesca, does so with such charm and talent and elevates the story to a whole new level. Her fragility in the pursuit of answers, and letting go of the fear of death, is enchanting and captivating. With a subtle touch, she manages to deliver a powerful performance. Di Sarno’s act is supported by a talented cast which includes Fabio Dessi who plays Fabio, the therapist; Riccardo Stellini who plays her husband, Alessandro; and Gloria D’Osvaldo who plays her friend Sara. The writer, director, editor, Mario Roccato ,did a marvelous job. Roccato holds a degree in Philosophy and states he was always drawn to photography. His other films had screened around the world, and no doubt, this one will too. ‘Writing About a Love’ is a beautiful Italian film that delves deep into issues concerning us all, and does so with a charming style and elegance.

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Adva Reichman is an Israeli writer-director based in Los Angeles; her latest film, Something to Live For deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and was screened at prestigious festivals. While in Israel, she worked in the Israeli news and on documentaries that revolved around major terror attacks and kidnappings that took place in Israel during the 70’s and 80’s. She is a graduate of the TV & Film Production MFA program at USC School of Cinematic Arts.