Maria Montessori Film Review

Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori Rating

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3

Léa Todorov’s directorial debut feature film ‘Maria Montessori’ offers a biopic of the Italian doctor’s journey in revolutionising children’s pedagogy. Maria Montessori transformed societies positioning of children with disabilities, medical conditions, &/or neurodivergence in education, and women in the workforce.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, the film begins in Paris where the esteemed French courtesan Lili d’Alengy (Leïla Bekhti) is confronted by the return of her estranged daughter Tina (Rafaëlle Sonneville-Caby) into her custody.

Lili is ashamed of the disabilities Tina possesses and frightened she will ruin her social standing so she flees to Rome. There she attempts to admit Tina as a boarder to a pedagogical institute that takes in ‘idiot children’ (as they were then referred to). Maria Montessori (Jasmine Trinca) and Guiseppe Montesano (Raffaele Esposito) manage the facility.

Maria accepts Tina into the program, but is unable to offer accommodation, much to Lili’s dismay she must stay based in Rome until a bed becomes available for Tina. Tina makes great academic and locomotive progress at the school, under the caring support and guidance of Maria.

Lili begins to soften her boundaries; a significant turning point of which, is when she plays the piano at the school, and the children delightedly dance along to the music. The music acts as a bridge, that reframes Lili’s perspective of the children’s mental and emotional capabilities, furthermore uniting her with Maria. Maria was initially judgemental of Lili’s abandonment and disavowal of motherhood to Tina, as Lili becomes more involved the two women forge a friendship.

We learn that Maria and Guiseppe are in secret romantic partnership and have a son together, who lives in the care of another woman in the countryside. Maria longs to live with her son Mario (also with disabilities), but she wishes to maintain her autonomy and without marrying Guiseppe he will not claim the child as his own, so the couple are limited to weekend visits to see him. Maria and Lili’s lives’ parallel each other, despite their significant differences.

Both have been estranged mothers in the pursuit of their independence. Lili is shocked to learn Maria doesn’t get paid for her work at the institute and helps Maria pave a path forward to achieve recognition for her pedagogical approach and the ability to grow and transmit the Montessori method.

 

The film offers fantastic subtext on the societal framing and transmission of shame, particularly as it effects nonhomogeneous groups. The casting is fantastic. The youth cast have real life physical and cognitive disabilities. It’s impactful to see the positive representation of people with disabilities being empowered not just through the story’s messaging, but also in its delivery. Rafaëlle Sonneville-Caby’s acting and depiction of her character Tina’s journey is incredibly moving.

Tina has a strong appetite and inclination towards learning. Seemingly non-verbal but with expressive emotional intelligence, receiving praise and love ignite her spark and inner determination. Rafaëlle illuminates Tina’s personality with beautiful authenticity. Several of her scenes were so affecting and poignant I found my emotional-physiological response resounding in fierce protection of her character. The story is one of sisterhood between Maria and Lili, and motherhood of each with their children, moreover motherhood as an approach to education.

Quotations such as “The new pedagogy must acknowledge the sublime art of motherhood” and “An education of love” speak to this and are expanded upon where Maria advocates for women to contribute to the workforce “Motherhood will then become a social model.” I think this idea is powerful and gaining traction in society today, for all it can offer – not just to women, but to everyone.

The story is both inspiring, and a heartbreaking rendering of the complex decisions women were required to make in this time and context. An important cinematic offering from Léa Todorov.

To book tickets to this or other films, click https://italianfilmfestival.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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The Beautiful Summer

The Beautiful Summer

The Beautiful Summer Rating

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1

Adapted from Cesare Pavese’s 1949 novel, ‘The Beautiful Summer’ written and directed by Laura Luchetti offers an evocative portrayal of self-discovery, longing, and sensual awakening. Set in 1938 preceding World War II in Turin, Italy. This coming-of-age story follows Ginia (Yile Yara Vianello), a young seamstress living with her brother Severino (Nicolas Maupas) in a modest apartment.

Ginia and Severino are relaxing at the lakeside with friends when Amelia (Deva Cassel) recognising one of them, swims over to join the group. Ginia is instantly allured by Amelia’s beauty and confidence, and both are curious of the other. Amelia is a nude model for painters. Severino is openly disdainful of Amelia’s choice of occupation, whereas Ginia finds herself intrigued by it.

Early in the film Amelia offers Ginia to watch her be painted, Ginia shyly declines and instead peers through the glass outside. Amelia introduces Ginia to a bohemian world that ignites her imagination. Ginia has her first romantic experience with the painter Guido (Alessandro Piavani) and finds herself curious to model also. The line “I want someone to look at me and show me who I am” reflects Ginia’s journey of self-exploration; as well as a kind of consenting voyeurism and exhibitionism, as a form of communication. Seeing and being seen. Underlying a foundational question- “Who’s vision do we wish to be cast by?”

The film is an emotive tapestry exploring jealousy, control, love, loss, desire, and practicality, with complexity. Yile Yara Vianello offers authenticity to the twists and turns of her characters journey, where polarity emerges at a middle pathway that is both authentic and refreshing.

 

Diego Romero’s cinematography is exquisite in its rendering of Turin’s architecture, landscape, and the casts interplay among them. The subtle shake of the camera in certain shots, and the focus on physical actions contribute to the film’s intimacy and tactile quality. The transition from summer to autumn is conveyed in its fleeting glory, echoing the themes of love and loss.

Autumnal hues are accented by colourist Andrea Baracca, and harmonious choices amongst the art, costume, and make-up departments offer stylistic cohesion that enriches the story. The chemistry between Yile Yara Vianello and Deva Cassel is tantalising. There is a tenderness between their characters, and it’s as if they are both holding a delicate secret together. The pensive piano scores composed by Francesco Cerasi mirror Ginia’s inner landscape, as she navigates her feelings, and choices.

If you like your storylines packaged and labelled neatly, I do not recommend this film. However, if you are like me and enjoy a storyline that feels more like a dance than a march, you will be captivated by the world Luchetti has created.

To book tickets to this or other films, click https://italianfilmfestival.com.au/films/iff24-the-beautiful-summer

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Thinner Than Water

Thinner Than Water

Thinner Than Water Rating

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4

‘Thinner Than Water’ written by Melissa Ross and directed by Tim Williams, offers a nuanced portrayal of a fractured family drawn together during a time of crisis. The play focuses on three half-siblings—Cassie (Amy Pollock), Renee (Katharine Innes), and Gary (Matthew Elliott)—who reconnect when their father’s health takes a turn for the worse. Renee, the eldest, naturally assumes a leadership role, displaying an authority over her siblings that is both practical and, at times, overbearing.

The other two siblings, though less organized, demonstrate a deeper empathy for those around them. This often puts them at odds with Renee, whose critical nature highlights the tension between them. The strained relationship with their father is apparent from the outset, setting the tone for the family dynamics that unfold throughout the play.

As the story unfolds, we see the shaky ground that Renee’s marriage is standing on. Her husband Mark’s level of criticism one-ups hers. As the play progresses, we find out Mark is not a cold-blooded narcist. The unfolding drama, acts as a catalyst that opens their respective vulnerabilities and provides stable-ground for them to have honest, productive conversations. Katharine Innes and Matt Trubiani take great writing, and deliver it with impeccable timing, humour, and stage chemistry.

Cassie is in an on-again-off-again relationship with Henry (Jerome Meyer) – a stable organised lawyer who is devoted to her, despite Cassie’s inconsistency in their relationship. The two have markedly different personalities and lifestyles. Henry’s similarity to Renee reflects interesting psychological subtext that is implicitly explored throughout the play.

Gary works in retail at a comic book store, and receives notable flack for it. He acts the part of stereotypical stoner meets anxious sweetheart. Like Cassie, Gary also struggles with responsibility. Him and Cassie are at ease with each other, where their mutual understanding anchors their relationship. Gary meets Angela (Nicole Chapman) at the start of the play. Angela is a single-mother looking for a reliable ‘big brother’ for her son.

When Martin is admitted to hospital the audience is treated to some great back and forth between Renee and Martins partner Gwen (Nin Macken), where the ball is largely held in Gwen’s side of the court. Gwen is a self-confessed chatterbox, Renee’s magazines, and forms prove inadequate barriers to deflect this. As the play progresses, we see the relationship between Gwen and Renee shift from superficial and one-sided, to honest and reciprocal, underscored by humour and depth.

There were a lot of set changes, broadcasting voicemails over these did help to alleviate their duration; but the play would benefit from shortening them. The use of the r-word felt unnecessary and could have been updated to something more appropriate. The narrative set-up is slowly drawn out over the first act, then after skipping forwards in time the resolution feels very compressed in the second act. I wonder if there might have been ways to alter this to convey the character growth that has transpired in this time- particularly in the case of Cassie, either through script changes, or acting choices.

Overall, this play is a funny, relatable, subtle, and complex work; supported with strong acting performances across the entire cast. The Alex Theatre was a fantastic venue, with great facilities. ‘Thinner Than Water’ is running 15-25 August at the Alex theatre in St Kilda, I highly recommend you take the opportunity to see it.

For Tickets:- https://alextheatre.au/thinner-than-water/

15 – 25 August 2024, 7 pm – 9:30 pm
Sundays 5 pm – 7:30 pm

Full $45 +BF
Concession $37.50 +BF

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE:
Full $35 +BF
Concession $27.50 +BF

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Blood in the Water

Blood in the Water

Blood in the Water Rating

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6

Playwright Jorja Bentley has authored a gripping and provocative theatre show with ‘Blood in the Water’. The show comes laden with content warnings: sexual violence, violence against children, & domestic abuse. Despite these hard-hitting themes, ‘Blood in the Water’ is also truly hilarious.

The show begins with the mother (Ruth) and daughter (Jen) engaged in verbal sparring about Jen wanting to go glamping with her friends on the night of her mother’s birthday dinner. The stepfather (Reuban) offers to drive Jen to both as a negotiation, then soon after receives a phone call that alters the course of their domestic life.

It is revealed that Ruth’s son (Jen’s brother) has been arrested for raping his girlfriend, Anna. Ruth’s sister, Sal, becomes Jen’s trusted ally in the family, where both were kept in the dark about Ruth and Reuben, knowing that there was concrete evidence against Ruth’s son; he had filmed it. The footage is leaked, and the son is sentenced to 4 years in prison.

Ruth and Sal had grown up with an abusive mother, and questions of nature-nurture and victim-perpetrator are explored. Sal’s liberal, outspoken character contrasts with Ruth’s uptight persona and the picture of suburban domesticity we see in her and Reuben’s home. Reuban is concerned with appearances and how this news will affect his political career.

Ruth desperately tries to avoid the reality of what has happened, seeking absolution for her son. Sal and Jen feel a sense of betrayal at Ruth’s avoidance of acknowledging the enormity of her son’s wrongdoing. The play follows each family member over the course of a year as they grapple with the weight of the son’s conviction and the choices they must make moving forward.

Mia Tuco, Chris Koch, Lana Schwarcz, & Karlis Zaid have fantastic stage chemistry and deliver the play with the authenticity it deserves.

Fantastic one-liners bring levity to the gravity of the subject matter being explored. Aspects of modernity are interrogated through quick-witted quips and satire. With notable lines like “You know I don’t study on Sunday. Sundays are for procrastination and existential dread.”

Sal and Jen’s honest relationship offers solace through this time. Humour and transparency bring the two characters closer together and provide safety and opportunities for healing.

Paralleling them both, and where this play is both confronting and entertaining, can the mother accept that she can both detest her son’s behaviour and love him? Jen’s boundaries are more marked, but can she offer support to Anna and still miss her brother? We see the care and concern she harbours below the surface.

Blood In The Water runs at the La Mama Courthouse from Jun 20 – Jun 30 to the following session times and runs for 100 minutes, including interval:-

  • Wed: 6.30pm
  • Thurs, Fri: 7.30pm
  • Sat: 2pm, 7.30pm
  • Sun: 4pm

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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