L'intrusa

This one comes as a surprise. Mature director Leonardo di Costanzo has a career in documentaries and that's his approach to a subject that might have made a main stream dramatic feature.

Valentina Vannino, the Wife of an arrested Camorra murder suspect, is given shelter in the hut on the suburban waste land that organiser Raffaella Giordano uses for a kids playground where she is getting a Festa ready, one of the few activities which brighten the drab Neapolitan working class area. The parents and school authorities object to Vannino who they associate with a brutal murder that has left one of the children mute. Giordano protests that her project is "per tutti bambini" but there is an incident in which intruder Vannino responds in character and the whole project is jeapodised.

Full of telling realistic detail - the bike repair shop guy who knows how to involve the withdrawn child, the visits of the Camorra wives, Vannino's second thoughts about make up, the human hand that the kids spit at.

Civility is put to the test - and fails. But: life will go on. To me, that is the essence of this story. It's a very simple story of a person in need of help, and another person willing to give it. But the world around them, and their own human faults, stand in the way of a happy ending. Nothing overly dramatic happens in this sombre movie. It is a quiet meditation on human life, where it succeeds, and where it fails. And yet, it had me on the edge of my seat constantly. Maybe I'm getting soft.

L'intrusa (2017), directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo, is a powerful, thought-provoking drama that delves into the struggles of a social worker in Naples, played by Valentina Vannino, as she faces a moral dilemma that could jeopardize her career and values. The film is an intimate examination of personal integrity in the face of widespread corruption and criminal influence, set against the gritty backdrop of the city's daily struggles.

Vannino gives a compelling performance as the dedicated social worker caught between her professional duty and the temptation to bend her morals in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The film doesn't rely on dramatic clichés but instead immerses the audience in the complexity of her situation, capturing her internal conflict with remarkable subtlety. Raffaella Giordano and Martina Abbate add depth to the narrative, portraying characters whose interactions with the protagonist bring both support and pressure in equal measure.

The cinematography is understated yet effective, with Di Costanzo's direction allowing the city itself to become a silent character, its harsh realities ever-present but never overwhelming the emotional core of the story. The pacing is slow, allowing the moral tension to build gradually and placing a spotlight on the personal and societal stakes at play.

While the film's exploration of ethics, societal pressure, and the power dynamics in Naples is gripping, L'intrusa's deliberate pacing and lack of traditional resolution may be off-putting to some. However, its quiet intensity and dedication to capturing the nuances of its characters make it a deeply engaging watch for those interested in films that confront difficult questions about the intersection of personal choices and systemic challenges.

L'intrusa succeeds in creating a layered and emotionally rich experience, focusing on human complexity rather than offering easy answers.

Rating: 7/10. A subtle yet powerful film that grapples with moral dilemmas, anchored by strong performances and thoughtful direction.

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