“Sole, Cuore, Amore” is written and directed by Daniele Vicari. It stars Francesco Acquaroli, Giulia Anchisi, Paola Tiziana Cruciani, Eva Grieco, Francesco Montanari, Isabella Ragonese, Laura Riccioli, and Mario Sgueglia.
Daniele Vicari’s Sole, Cuore, Amore (Sun, Heart, Love) is a drama about a woman struggling to support her family. Eli (Ragonese) and her husband, Mario (Montanari), have three young children. Mario has been unemployed for an extended period, making Eli the family’s sole breadwinner. Eli works at a coffee shop in Rome, which is a two-hour commute, each way. She works six days a week.
This is, in essence, the entirely of Sole, Cuore, Amore’s plot. In conventional screenwriting, you have a pre-existing situation, which is affected by an inciting incident that kicks the plot into gear. SCA never leaves that pre-existing world. This gives the film a curious feeling, as though it’s sort of half-formed. Threads are introduced, and abandoned. Characters and plot lines are left hanging, their fates a mystery. This isn’t to say the film is badly written, only that Vicari (whose other work I am not familiar with), is going for something unconventional. He strives for naturalism. This is a slice-of-life story, with recognizable characters and all-too-human stakes. While the film escalates as it progresses (there’s a definite story arc), every development feels organic to the world, rather than artificially injected to increase the drama.
In order for naturalism to work as drama in a motion picture, the writing and performances must be top-notch. Vicari’s writing is mostly up to the task, grounding the script in recognizable character dynamics and moments of tenderness and humanity. There are many little moments throughout that I found particularly impressive. For instance, Vicari conveys the panic of running late unusually well, as Eli struggles along her hellish commute. The performances are solid all around (including those given by the child actors). Ragonese carries the film, feeling entirely authentic as the exhausted, yet hopeful Eli. She has solid chemistry with Montanari and is a joy to watch as a mother, lover, and friend.
The film has something of a strange b-plot involving Eli’s friend Vale (Grieco), a dancer who begins a tentative romance with Bianca (Anchisi). Grieco and Anchisi do good work, but the whole thing feels under-developed and serves to pad out the length of the film more than bolster than main plot in any meaningful way.
Sole, Cuore, Amore will not satisfy everyone. Its minimal plot and no-frills presentation may fail to capture the attention of some who turn to stories for escapism. For others, who see themselves in these characters and their struggles, the film will be far more rewarding.
The film had its North American premiere at OPEN ROADS: NEW ITALIAN CINEMA 2017.
-Anthony Calamunci
