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| Poster artwork for the drama mystery thriller The Unknown Woman - La Sconosciuta. |
She's Unbeknownst To Them by Linh
Italian director/producer/writer Giuseppe Tornatore,
director of the Academy award-winning film Cinema
Paradiso -Nuovo cinema Paradiso, continues to display his cinematic touch
of the dark, beguiling and emotive in his most recent film The Unknown Woman - La Sconosciuta.
The
Unknown Woman - La Sconosciuta is a mystery/thriller/drama
which gradually reveals the mystery behind a woman's attempt to become close to
a little girl from the family for whom she works as a nanny/housekeeper. The
unknown woman's past is told in flashbacks, but only as tiny teasers to keep
the audience guessing and is confusing at times. Most is revealled in the end
as the woman finds herself in over her head and can no longer hide the truth
about her past and the reasons for her recent actions. The final scene is set
ten years later and shows the happiness and love the unknown woman has been
seeking yet it's bittersweet as it took so much pain (and a decade in
prison) to achieve.
Russian actress Kseniya Rappoport stars as the young
Ukrainian woman named Irena (also known in the film as Giorgia) who stops at
nothing to become the housekeeper of a wealthy Italian couple, Donato and
Valeria Adacher, and a nanny to their seven year old daughter Thea. Irena is
manipulative, cunning, deceptive and a fabulous cook. She also lies and steals
from the Adacher family and succeeds in gaining the trust of their daughter
Thea. Rappoport gives a solid performance throughout as the tortured sex slave
Giorgia, starting anew as the sinister and troubled Irena who tries to escape
her past. Rappoport skillfully steers her flawed character from despicable to
desirable to compassionate, making Irena memorable despite audiences knowing
very little about her.
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SORRY: Irena
(Kseniya Rappoport) apologises to Gina (Piera Degli Esposti) for pushing her
down the stairs in the film The Unknown
Woman - La Sconosciuta. Image: Medusa Film.
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Italian veteran actor Michele Placido, is a scene stealer
as Irena's nasty and merciless former pimp and captor, Muffa 'Mould', who
returns to seek revenge and money from Irena. It was Muffa who gave her the
name Giorgia and had forced her into several years of sexual humiliation,
slavery and prostitution, including getting her pregnant nine times and selling
her babies. Placido has the remarkable ability to induce fear and loathing
towards his character with a combination of gruff voice, sneering facial
expressions and a bad temperament.
Mostly recognised for her role in the controversial Mel
Gibson-directed-film The Passion of the
Christ, sultry Italian actress Claudia Gerini plays the ill-fated Valeria
Adacher, who is a skilled jewellery maker and foster mother to Thea. Gerini's
portrayal of the suspicious mother who grows fearful of the bond between Irena
and Thea is downplayed but commendable. Gerini is at her best, albeit too
briefly, as her character fires Irena and becomes a victim of foul play in a
tragic scene.
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SUSPICIOUS:
Valeria (Claudia Gerini) suspects her daughter Thea (Clara Dossena) has been
abused in the film The Unknown Woman - La
Sconosciuta. Image: Medusa Film.
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The ensemble cast all provide excellent support with
Piera Degli Esposti as the elderly housekeeper Gina who befriends Irena only to
end up paralysed and in a nursing home; Alessandro Haber is in fine form as the
sympathetic porter who becomes close to Irena and helps her get into the
Adacher's house; Clara Dossen as little Thea is endearing and engaging. Ennio Morricone's stirring musical scores accompany the
film's harrowing and touching scenes. Morricone's musical score is perfectly
pitched to accentuate the characters' emotions and sets the mood for every
scene.
The
Unknown Woman - La Sconosciuta is a complex, frustrating
and dramatically hypnotising film that has a strong emotional impact. Not a
family friendly movie despite dealing with many family- related themes such as
love, trust and mother/daughter bonding.
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TORMENTED: Muffa
'Mould' (MIchele Placido) threatens Giorgia (Kseniya Rappoport) with death if she
disobeys him in the film The Unknown
Woman - La Sconosciuta. Image: Medusa Film.
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Director: Giuseppe
Tornatore
Writers: Giuseppe
Tornatore (screenplay), Massimo De Rita (screenplay)
Cast: Kseniya
Rappoport, Michele Placido, Claudia Gerini, Pierfrancesco Favino, Piera Degli
Esposti, Clara Dossena, Alessandro Haber, Nicola Di Pinto
Producer:
Laura Fattori
Cinematographer:
Fabio Zamarion
Original
Music Composer: Ennio Morricone
Film
Editor: Massimo Quaglia
Production:
Tonino Zera (Production Designer), Gaia Zambelli (Art Director), Nicoletta
Ercole (Set Decorator)
Language: Italian
with English subtitles
Running
Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Film
Classification Rating: R 18+ (contains full frontal nudity,
sex scenes, child abuse, graphic violence)
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