ARIANNA (2015) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Carlo Lavagna

Written by - Carlo Salsa, Carlo Lavagna, Chiara Barzini

Starring - Ondina Quadri

 

"ARIANNA is an unusual and yet admirably tasteful coming of age drama which deals with an interesting topic about a girl confronting her sexuality. The titular character is a nineteen year old girl who, despite the fact that she is about to turn twenty, has yet to have her first menstrual cycle and finds it impossible to experience an orgasm. 

 
CARLO LAVAGNA's feature debut tackles some sensible issues, some of which have rarely been explored in cinema before, and through its careful pacing, draws us into the world of its leading characters with honesty, without ever coming close to pitfalling in tastelessness, even in the more direct scenes presenting nakedness, totally needed in a film where the human body is a central element. As any other film about sexual awakening, it exploits a sensorial type of experience, particularly through the cinematography's awareness of its beautiful and sunny countryside setting, with green pastures and blue seas. 
 

It's hard to believe that ONDINA QUADRI, who plays the role of Arianna, is here in her feature debut. She carries a lot of the weight of the film on her shoulders, but does so masterfully with a tastefully restrained  and honest performance in the delicate role of a girl in a delicate situation and on a mysterious path of self-discovery. "

 

Drama, Italy