Wow! Now this is what I call a film! An artistic masterpiece, the debut of Italian director Paola Licata, this story set on the picturesque island of Favignana off the coast of Sicily gifts us with the type of storytelling where a shot of a foot in the sand speaks volumes. The tale follows Lucia, a girl heading into puberty, as she is left behind on the island when her loving parents and little brother go to France without her. The parents need to be out of the poor island economy to get work, and Lucia is left behind for practical financial reasons, lack of accomodation, and to keep her grandmother company.
On Favignana, Lucia's extended family lives close and abounds in painful secrets that are the cause of estrangement between Lucia's grandmother and her great aunt. I nearly gave up watching during a point where someone was getting a beating, but ultimately glad I watched to the end. There is something so earthy, real, and heartbreaking about the non-sentimental tale of abandonment, friendship, betrayal, confusion, courage, and understanding that unfolds illuminated by the brown, teels, muted reds, ochre, and tan color palate.
Alone With Her Dreams, a brilliant art House movie about the difficult and complex relationship bewteen Lucia and her grandmother, may rip your heart out of you. If this sort of film appeals to you, then by all means, watch this one. It has stuck with me days after viewing it.
