This film is part of Rentals
Nostalgia
A man with a hidden past returns home to Naples after decades away and is forced to face up to his former life in Mario Martone’s soulful paean to his hometown.
Director: Mario Martone
Overview
Felice Lasco (Pierfrancesco Favino) has lived most of his life in Cairo, but at the urging of his Egyptian wife Arlette (Sofia Essaidi), he returns to his hometown of Naples, which he abruptly left while still in his teens. The city he knew has changed in many ways, but there remain places that remind him of his youth. Though as his familiarity with local neighbourhoods and the labyrinthine network of streets increases, and faces from the past begin to recognise him, his presence becomes more unsettling. Contact with an old school friend, now one of the city’s leading crime bosses, reminds him why he turned his back on this world.
Martone stands alongside Elena Ferrante as one of Naples’ most astute chroniclers. Witnessing this world through Felice’s eyes, the filmmaker offers an intimate perspective on local neighbourhoods, but also accentuates the air of menace that simmers through everyday life. An actor whose expressive eyes speak more than words, Favino perfectly captures the conflicting and often unspoken emotions Felice feels towards this world – a place he once played in as a child, but where the stakes have now become precariously high.
infrequent strong language, moderate violence, bloody imagesRelated
Small Things Like These Small Things Like These
Drama 2024 99 mins
Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy delivers a stunning performance as a coal merchant who discovers horrific secrets about his local convent.
Only the River Flows Only the River Flows
Crime 2023 102 mins Director: Shujun Wei
Shujun Wei's slow-burn noir draws us inexorably into its mysterious psychological journey.
The Critic The Critic
Period drama 2023 101 mins Director: Anand Tucker
Ian McKellen is in delicious form as London's most vicious critic, who strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actor (Gemma Arterton).
Special People Special People
Comedy 2008 74 mins Director: Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar's pioneering feature comedy about a neurotic filmmaker enlisted to make a film with a class of wheelchair-users.
The Goldman Case The Goldman Case
Drama 2023 116 mins Director: Cédric Kahn
Gripping courtroom drama based on the explosive 1976 murder trial of French political activist, Pierre Goldman.
In Camera In Camera
Drama 2024 95 mins Director: Naqqash Khalid
A struggling actor faces relentless knockbacks in Naqqash Khalid’s sharp-witted comment on race and identity in the film industry.
Dead Ringers Dead Ringers
Horror 1988 116 mins Director: David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg's multi award-winning psychological thriller exploring the bizarre lives of identical twins Elliot and Beverly, both played by Jeremy Irons.
Mother and Son Mother and Son
Drama 2022 116 mins Director: Léonor Serraille
This beautifully tender and deeply moving new film from Léonor Serraille is a vibrant portrait of a family told from multiple perspectives.
The Taste of Things The Taste of Things
Drama 2023 135 mins Director: Trân Anh Hûng
Tran Anh Hùng directs Juliette Binoche in this delicious culinary romance that leaves no crumbs. Winner of the best director award at Cannes.
Kidnapped Kidnapped
Historical drama 2023 134 mins Director: Marco Bellocchio
This enthralling Italian historical drama depicts the kidnapping of a young Jewish boy, who is then sent to the Vatican to be converted to Christianity.
About Dry Grasses About Dry Grasses
Romance 2023 198 mins Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Turkish Palme d’Or-winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan returns with an icy portrait of a teacher whose life unravels following an accusation of inappropriate behaviour.
The Goldman Case The Goldman Case
Drama 2023 116 mins Director: Cédric Kahn
Gripping courtroom drama based on the explosive 1976 murder trial of French political activist, Pierre Goldman.
No Other Land No Other Land
Documentary 2024 92 mins Director: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
This powerful documentary from a Palestinian-Israeli collective might be one of the most important films of this year.
Small Things Like These Small Things Like These
Drama 2024 99 mins
Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy delivers a stunning performance as a coal merchant who discovers horrific secrets about his local convent.
Only the River Flows Only the River Flows
Crime 2023 102 mins Director: Shujun Wei
Shujun Wei's slow-burn noir draws us inexorably into its mysterious psychological journey.
The Critic The Critic
Period drama 2023 101 mins Director: Anand Tucker
Ian McKellen is in delicious form as London's most vicious critic, who strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actor (Gemma Arterton).
Special People Special People
Comedy 2008 74 mins Director: Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar's pioneering feature comedy about a neurotic filmmaker enlisted to make a film with a class of wheelchair-users.
Timestalker Timestalker
Comedy 2024 89 mins Director: Alice Lowe
What if unrequited love spanned the centuries? Alice Lowe's time-jumping fantasy rom-com is a colourful, darkly funny treat.