Elio Germano and French actress Astrid Berges-Frisbey give powerful performances as Fausto and Nadine, two people that are passionately in love, but cannot manage to stay together. The film begins with the innocence of a young man and woman attracted to each other and lightheartedly getting to know each other. That tone abruptly changes when the two are forced into a violent confrontation to defend themselves. Fausto ends up in jail and Nadine carries on with her life, ending all communication with him. When Fausto is released from jail, he surprisingly finds Nadine waiting for him outside. Their reunion is emotional and intense, setting the stage for the rest of the film. Their rollercoaster relationship is filled with moments of pure happiness, raging anger, laughter, tears, broken hearts, violence, exits, entrances and above all, passionate love. There are so many elements to this story. Nadine is forced to deal with the slow, painful recovery from a car accident and Fausto's involvement with a shady lone shark while he is forced to deal with the profound disappointment of one unfaithful encounter. The stress from the reality of their hard lifestyle eventually breaks them apart but these two always have a way of finding their way back to one another. There is not much comedy relief in this film, and I don't think there were many dry eyes at the end. "Alaska" is a fast-paced, highly emotional drama. If you are looking for a comedy, don't even bother.
Elio Germano at the Festa del Cinema in Rome |
I am betting on this one for the 2016 edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema in New York City. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out the trailer.
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