La Chimera asks us, the audience, many questions. What does it mean to dig up the past? What capitalist forces may have forced us to violate the tombs of the long dead? What are real connections or just a dream? How do we grieve and pass the time along? Do we ever truly recover from loss? Would you join a merry band of gypsies and drunkenly galavant across the Italian countryside? Well, absolutely, to that last question. Director Alice Rohrwacher has delivered a wonderous film that, at times, will make you laugh with its Buster Keatonesque chase sequences in one moment and then destroy you emotionally with Josh O'Connor's breathtaking, depressive performance. La Chimera is nothing short of a cathartic masterpiece that will live on with you long after you leave the theater.
La Chimera takes us on a poignant journey with Josh O'Connor, an archeologist who, in the 80s Italian countryside, unearths ancient tombs for his gang of friends to exploit and sell to black-market buyers for more booze and fun. O'Connor's character, Arthur, is disheveled and grappling with the loss of the love of his life, whom he sees in cryptic dreams, which leaves him a thread to follow. His only connection to her is her grandmother, who lives in a decrepit old Italian house where he can find some comfort or final connection with his lost lover.
O'Connor is a revelation in La Chimera. I just got done complimenting him in Challengers for his slimy hot scumbag portrayal, but to see him pull off this depressed and frustrated man searching for some longing or closure was heartbreaking. O'Connor is an excellent reminder that acting is not just simply lines of dialogue. He wears this melancholy on his face, and many scenes with just a look he gives had me emotionally distraught in the theater. I love how mean his character can be and show off his frustration with life, but deep down, you know the man is in great pain. It's superstar acting, and I have season tickets for anything he puts out.
Alice Rohrwacher's world she's created here is one that is gritty, lived-in, and mesmerizing. Rohrwacher gives us a distinct directional vision that crosses between the classical 70s golden era of neorealism and that of a 21st-century master of mood and tone. The way she blocks scenes with tons of actors speaking over each other while never losing focus of what's important for that scene, the magical dream sequences that move the emotional beats of our story, or the flipping of the camera in many instances to not only create a great shot but flip us into where the character's mind is stunning.
The film explores incredible themes of grief and what we do to cope and move forward in our lives. O'Connor expresses this outwardly and physically with the dirty white suits he wears. A man who digs up the tombs of the dead to feel something for someone he loved who died is just such a heartbreaking pitch to start with. La Chimera goes deeper into these ideas, such as what is left for the dead and should remain for them alone, as well as old Italian tales and curses of those who disturb those left to rest. It's also interesting to see what the economic forces at display here during this period would push the people to loot the dead out of desperation. All these themes work in tandem with each other, and there's more to follow down the rabbit hole in this film, whether emotionally or physically.
Here are some final thoughts on things I didn't touch upon: I love the family of gypsies and how distinct and hilarious they are! It's easy to see how someone could be lured into such a fun group of degenerates as someone with drunk-loving degenerate friends as well! The score of La Chimera is seducing and incredible and transports me right into the film. Finally, the ending will destroy you and fill your heart with too many emotions to count. La Chimera is a remarkable film filled with zany moments of confusion and laughter, love in its purest form, and grief displayed on film that's soul-crushing. It will live on way after we have passed.
Score: 9/10
Written by: Kevin J. Pettit
Sounds like a movie I’d like to see.
Love the review