Reviews

• 

  ★★★★½ review by vee on Letterboxd

  honestly shocked it took me this long to discover this film given that it includes
  
  a) gorgeous, thematically rich shots that are skilfully woven into a compelling narrative
  
  b) a scene where a woman stares moodily out of the window of an italian mansion while she listens to hip hop

• 

  ★★★½ review by Leesah Sea on Letterboxd

  During a family tragedy, Anna (Juliette Binoche) opens up her home to her sons girlfriend who is flying in from Paris for Easter holidays. Jeanne (Lou De Laâge) arrives at Anna's large Sicilian villa to find that her boyfriend Giuseppe hasn't arrived and can't seem to get in touch with via phone. The two women are left to get to know each other and await Giuseppe's arrival.

  Piero Messina's directorial debut is a slow quiet film that at times seems like style over substance. I understand why the silence is used. With a loss of a family member, some people deal with their grief in silence. A lot of people will dislike this and feel that the movie is not going anywhere or progressing too slowly. I, however, felt this was appropriate for the situation that the main character was going through.

  The cinematography is amazing. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and so many of the shots of the villa are breathtaking. The music throughout the movie is really great as well and really adds to the mood of the movie.

  Juliette Binoche is fantastic in this! She is consistently great in each and every role she is in. There's not a whole lot more to say about it...she was great! Lou De Laâge is an actress that is new to me. I thought she was rather impressive. Paired with Binoche, she was able to hold her own and not lose her presence. She is also in THE INNOCENTS (which I haven't yet seen but has been on my watchlist for some time), so I'm now more eager to watch that.

  L'attesa (The Wait) played at the Venice, London and Toronto film festivals but doesn't seem to have been viewed by many.

• 

  ★★★★ review by javad shams on Letterboxd

  تصویری از زمان

• 

  ★★★★ review by maddie on Letterboxd

  BINOCHE INVENTED ACTING

• 

  ★★★★ review by Jeremy Leung on Letterboxd

  TIFF 2015 Film #6

  Heartbreaking...the dramatic tension in The Wait is like a wound-up elastic band just waiting to be released and alleviated for the entire run time of this tragic story. Binoche once again finds herself in a meaty and substantial role of sadness; deftly handling numerous emotions on her facial muscles like no other actress working today. A sense of live-theatricality abounds between her and her co-star Lou De Laâge, as an unraveling of denial, guilt, desperation and heartbreak happens all within confined spaces in a Sicilian home. At times I had wished for more subtlety in its telling (the score is a tad too swelling and exaggerated during key moments, surprisingly similar to Sorrentino's Youth, of whom Messina worked with in the past) but nonetheless there are some breathtaking moments of acting and cinematography to treasure here.

• See all reviews