2004-10-16

I knew very little about this movie before I saw it, so it was satisfying to approach it with no preconceived notions. Facing Windows (La Finestra di Fronte) is an absorbing, though sometimes sentimental movie that takes an initially unsympathetic character and allows her to slowly develop over the span of the film.

The movie starts with a murder in 1943 Rome, and then quickly moves to the present day, where we see a husband and wife walking down the street and arguing. The husband, Filippo, seems like a goodhearted but simple guy; the wife, Giovanna, seems sharp and impatient. During their walk, Filippo is approached by an elderly man who seems to have lost his bearings and his memory. He doesn't even know his own name. Despite Giovanna's reluctance, they take him home and feed him dinner, while Filippo promises to take him to the police station the next day to see if anyone has reported a missing person.

The elderly man's identity eventually leads us back full circle to the murder in the opening moments of the film, though we don't find out the full story for quite some time. In trying to find out more about the elderly man's identity, Giovanna discovers clues about a secret and forbidden romance, and embarks upon a similarly illicit relationship of her own with the (extremely) handsome man (Under the Tuscan Sun's Raoul Bova, all strong jawline and high cheekbones) who lives in the building across from her and her family.

I thought that the writing and pacing in this film were very good, but the standout for me was the performances by the two main actors--the late Massimo Girotti, who plays the elderly amnesiac, and Giovanna Mezzogiorno, who plays the frustrated housewife. Although at times the movie becomes a little bit sentimental, it's easily forgiven because of the incredible dignity of Girotti, and the subtlety of Mezzogiorno. They are both utterly believable throughout the film, without a false moment from either. There is one brief moment in the film which felt strangely out of place, and you will probably notice it too; for some reason the director chose to include an oddly cheerful montage complete with a poppy musical score which seems jarring and inappropriate. However, the moment is brief and the movie returns to its sensual, pensive tone soon afterward.

This movie was a big hit in Italy, and it's not hard to see why. Although I can't say it's deeply philosophical or even particularly original, it is beautifully filmed and sensitively acted, and I think it's well worth seeing, if only for Massimo Girotti's last performance on film.

Posted by polarcanuck at 9:49 p.m.

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