Figlia mia (2018)

Directed by: Laura Bispuri | 114 minutes | drama | Actors: Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu, Udo Kier, Michele Carboni, Fiorenzo Mattu, Julia Radovic

‘Figlia Mia’ is a well-made Italian family drama by Laura Bispuri that raises high expectations with the acting of the lead actresses, but is just too simplistic and predictable. The story revolves around ten-year-old Vittoria (Sara Casu), who lives in Sardinia with her mother Tina (Valeria Golino), but learns that Tina is not her biological mother. That turns out to be Angelica (Alba Rohrwacher), who is found in a compromising position by Vittoria at a local rodeo. Angelica once made an agreement with Tina because she couldn’t and didn’t want to take care of her child herself. Angelica is in debt and threatens to be thrown out of her farm and still wants contact with Vittoria. When that leads to confusion with the girl and a growing claiming behavior from Angelica, a conflict arises between the two mothers. Meanwhile, the withdrawn and insecure Vittoria finds herself torn between Tina and Angelica and must search for her own identity. Angelica and Tina are completely opposite characters, which must lead to clashes as they both fight for Vittoria’s love and attention.

Time seems to stand still in many ways in the small fishing village with its ancient surroundings, where people have lived in the same way for centuries. Bispuri unfolds the story at a calm pace: Vittoria’s growing fascination with her real mother, Tina’s understandable jealousy and frustration and Angelica’s tumultuous world. The latter typically lives “in the moment” and is unable to care for herself and her horses, let alone a child teetering on the brink of puberty. ‘Figlia mia’ offers few surprises and is set along obvious lines. Bispuri also doesn’t seem very interested in creating a grand and compelling story.

‘Figlia mia’ (my daughter) is more the rough draft of a special relationship between two women and a girl, which is based on the great acting performances of the three protagonists. It’s hard to say who delivers the most impressive performance, but Golino wins by a nose length lead. She is the anchor of the film, the concerned parent who sadly watches “her” child seem to drift away from her. Even if she resorts to morally dubious solutions, it’s easy to understand why she behaves this way. Rohrwacher, in turn, plays a loose ball with too little sense of responsibility to get her life on track. However, because of the believable way in which she portrays the plodding and stumbling Angelica, she remains sympathetic. Finally, Casu shows that she offers a good counterbalance to the experienced actresses such as the serious Vittoria, who is bullied for her red hair and is given adult choices.

Despite the sunny staging, the film is full of washed-out scenes that have been captured by cameraman Vladan Radovic with great eye for detail. This is especially true of the shadowy cafes where Angelica hangs out and where the men view her with a mixture of disgust and lust. The story meanders on without any really dramatic developments, but never really gets boring – despite the lack of surprises. The game of the three is too good for that. However, by making the Tina-Angelica-Vittoria triangle so central, there is little room for alternative views and other supporting actors are reduced to glorified extras. That in itself is remarkable, because in such a small community you would expect more social control and interference from other villagers. How could the villagers not have guessed that Vittoria wasn’t Tina’s real daughter and gossiped about it—which might have ended up with Vittoria through other children? Men have no significant role in the film. By almost completely excluding the outside world and all the opinions contained in it, the makers give the film a vague, indefinable tinge. As a character study about motherhood ‘Figlia mia’ is very successful and yet you keep the feeling that there could have been more in it.