Director: Paolo Virzi.
Stars: Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Matilde Gioli, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.
Running Time: 111 Minutes.
Synopsis: The destinies of two families are irrevocably tied together after a cyclist is hit off the road by an SUV in the night before Christmas Eve.
Lately American cinema has been dominated by book adaptations. It appears that the trend is being followed in Italian cinema. HUMAN CAPITAL is based on the novel by Stephen Amidon, replacing the books Connecticut setting for the wealthy region of Brianza, in northern Italy. Director, Paolo Virzi adds a little Italian twist by infusing local social mores whilst still valuing the books message of capitalist greed and disturbingly low value put on human life.
Virzi masterfully etches an impactful and thought provoking tale, following an interesting temporal structure. The film is split into four chapters, three named after the lead characters and the forth which provides a conclusive end. The chapters follow Dino Ossola (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), Carla Bernaschi (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) and Serena Ossola (Matilde Gioli). The films prologue depicts the incident of a cyclist on his way home from work, when he is suddenly driven off the road by a black SUV. This event joins together two families, one living a comfortable middle-class lifestyle and the other a luxurious and elitist lifestyle. The choice to split the film into chapters does well to play along with the mystery, but also unravels the private dramas affecting the differing social standings of its lead characters.
The first chapter opens with Dino, an overly eager and somewhat obnoxious man, who whilst ignoring social barriers makes desperate attempts to climb the social ladder. It is clear to everyone that he is an unwelcome guest to the elitist club. During this first chapter Dino learns a hard lesson when his over eagerness reduces him to financial ruin. However, the lesson is short lived when he sees an opportunity to recoup his losses by ruining someone else’s life.
Chapter two introduces Carla, a lovable yet lonely beauty. Married to the self-absorbed and career obsessed Giovanni Bernaschi (Fabrizo Gifuni), she lacks self confidence and struggles with her basic desire to escape from her gold cage. She soon looks to embrace some excitement in her life by restoring an old theatre to its former glory whilst having a passionate tryst with the theatre art director.
Finally we meet Serena, who in previous chapters was relegated to the loving and loyal girlfriend of Massimiliano Bernaschi, although this image of young love is debunked as Serena hold a firm position of being just friends. She soon finds love in the troubled Luca Ambrosini. Serena is a sensitive and emotionally driven teenager, yet is unearthed as a strong willed young lady, whose determination to protect those she loves shows a vast maturity compared with the other lead characters.
These three characters intertwine in the final chapter, and offer resolution to the incident of the cyclist hit by the SUV. Detailing each characters part in the drama would ruin the thrill that is untangling the links between the two families and the lengths greed and desperation will take you. Virzi’s unique approach to storytelling has put together an inventive and compelling watch.
The film is driven by some amazing performances, most notably Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Valeria exudes an astounding dominance on screen despite portraying a withered and mousy screen persona. Fabrizio Bentivoglio produces a memorable performance. He adopts some quirks and mannerisms that add an instinctual dislike for the tedious character of Dino.
HUMAN CAPITAL is captivating from start to finish, from the personal dramas to addressing the distressingly low value of human life.
[usr=4] HUMAN CAPITAL is released in UK theatres on Friday 26th September.
