LA CHIMERA 🤩

LA CHIMERA, written and directed by Alice Rohrwacher, tells an instantly timeless story through a complex mix of drama, comedy, romance, action, and a bit of magic. It’s simultaneously sleek and stylish, yet gritty and realistic, balancing visual jokes with moments of dread. This movie takes a while to get started (30-40 minutes), but it’s incredibly engrossing once it does.

Josh O’Connor shines in his leading role as Arthur, an English archaeologist living in Italy, working with a band of tombaroli – grave robbers in Tuscany. Arthur isn’t necessarily a likable character; but through O’Connor’s performance and Rohrwacher’s script, I couldn’t help but feel so much empathy for him. There are a couple of interweaving story arcs in LA CHIMERA, packed full of dynamic, realistic characters. From the quirky treasure hunters and their competitors to Arthur’s would-be mother-in-law to the town’s residents – there’s so much life imbued into this film.

I first heard about LA CHIMERA on NPR’s Fresh Air, where writer Justin Chang described it as “Italian magical neorealism” – and that term intimidated me. But after reading about the movement, I see the appeal of the “Golden Age” of Italian cinema, films focusing on the working class, about the hardships of “poverty, oppression, injustice and desperation.” I recently watched BICYCLE THIEVES while visiting my Nani and Nana’s house in Boulder, and see the parallels between Vittorio De Sica’s film and this one. So while Rohrwacher may have intended for LA CHIMERA to be a love letter to this movement, it’s part of my introduction; and I’m excited to watch more movies in this genre.

LA CHIMERA is now playing in select theaters.