Italian horror film and demonic possessions, starring Riccardo Scamarcio and Mia Maestro.
What is the plot?
Emma travels with her fiancé Francesco to a village in southern Italy, with them goes their little daughter Sofia, the fruit of a past relationship. She is very excited to meet Teresa, the mother of the man she loves today. Teresa and the other inhabitants of the place, act a little strange. Soon Emma will discover that there is a curse that wants to take possession of her daughter and she will have to fight against this demonic force, to avoid it.
I have read brief opinions in different film communities, and most of them have classified this film as very bad. They criticized the story, the direction, the performances, absolutely everything. I asked myself, is it as bad as they say?
I decided to see it, to evaluate the film myself. I can tell you that actually, it's not as bad as many people have said. Of course, if you're one of those people looking for a horror movie with a lot of scenes that make you jump up and down, this isn't the right one.
Il Legame, which is its original title, is an Italian film framed in the subgenre of demonic possessions, with all the characteristics and elements that have handled countless films that have dealt with this subject.
There is a curse for a past event, which returns for revenge, using the girl in the story, as the person to be possessed. There are mysterious and secret rituals in that family, which must pay for the sins of the past.
I only agree with one thing from the other opinions, the film, although its length of one and a half hours, becomes heavy, there is a loss of rhythm that makes it seem longer than it really is. I think this has been a determining factor in making a negative impression on many viewers.
Among the positive things about the film, I liked the location of the story in a village in southern Italy, which caught my attention, seeing that house surrounded by a forest and very beautiful landscapes.
The house, where the story takes place, is an old place and suitable for a horror film, an old house that must have many stories. I would be afraid to spend the night in a house like that.
The trees and roots, used as part of Ada's manifestation, she returns to take revenge on those who hurt her, while only wishing for the love she could not have. This is another element of the story that is good for me, although there are flaws in the way we discovered all of that.
Within the films of possessions and curses, it seems to me that it is a normal film, it does not stand out like the others, but it is not a disaster or as bad as many viewers have said. I saw it last night, Sunday, and it is correct. You just have to be patient and digest the story calmly.
The film is low budget, but they have decent makeup and special effects work. In the last part of the film, in the scenes of the cave and the house, they manage to increase a little the tension and encourage us to see how the story will end.
The cast includes a couple of names with excellent careers in film, both Italian and from other parts of the world. This section has also been criticized, but it seems to me that the work of all the actors involved has lived up to what a film of this type deserves.
Riccardo Scamarcio is an excellent Italian actor who since 2009 has launched his career, acting in many great Italian and international films. For example, he participated in the French film Polisse in 2011. Passolini by Abel Ferrara in 2014. He worked in the American series Master of None and in the film John Wik 2. And in 2018 he was one of the protagonists of Paolo Sorrentino's film about Silvio Berlusconi: Loro. In 2019 he starred in the film Lo spietato , receiving excellent reviews.
Scamarcio plays Francesco, the man who goes to his mother's house with his girlfriend and daughter, to inform his mother of his decision to marry. Although he has kept a secret from Emma.
Mia Maestro is the other Argentinean actress with an extensive career in international and Hollywood films. She plays Emma, the mother of the girl Sofia and in love with Francesco, who will finally meet the mother of the man she loves. Not knowing that her life and her daughter's will be in great danger.
Mia is an actress that I like, she has not become a superstar, but she is a woman who has worked in the film industry in many parts of the world, on projects large or small. She worked in Venezuela, starring in the successful film Secuestro Express in 2005. In Argentina she has worked in films such as La niña Santa and Diarios de Motocicleta. In the United States, she was part of the cast of the film Frida, Savages and even participated in the Twilight saga. She also ventured into American television, with roles in successful series such as Alias and The Strain.
The rest of the cast is made up of Federica Rosellini playing Ada. Mariella Lo Sardo in the role of Teresa, Francesco's mother and the girl Giulia Patrignani in the role of Sofia, who will be the victim of possession.
Il Legame is the debut of filmmaker Domenico De Feudis, who also wrote the script with Daniele Cosci. Domenico had directed two short films before, being especially known for L'ora del buio in 2017.
This is his first film as a director, but Domenico De Feudis has a long career as an assistant director and in charge of the second unit of other productions. He also has experience working with one of the best Italian filmmakers today, Paolo Sorrentino.
De Feudis worked as an assistant director on the films Loro and the great beauty of Paolo Sorrentino. I have also worked on films by other filmmakers, such as Watercolor and Gli Asteroide. And in television, he has been the director of the second unit in two episodes of the Italian series Suburra.
I believe that this filmmaker is still in training, he has made a film that respects the rules of the genre, he has not risked doing anything new, but surely with the passage of time he will improve in his art and surprise us in the future with a work with more character and personality.
The film is available in the Netflix catalog.
My Ranking: 2.8/5
Trailer
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