The Wait (Piero Messina, 2015): USA

Reviewed by Markus Linecker. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2016.

The Wait is a film that I cannot really put into any specific category.  It is a drama, a romance, and also has faith aspects.

Jeanne travels from Paris to Sicily to meet her fiancé Giuseppe in his mother’s villa. Guiseppe’s mother Anna is mourning the death of Guiseppe. When Jeanne arrives, Ann does not tell her that her fiancé is dead. She pretends that he is still alive and that he will come back in a few days. In the meantime Anne and Jeanne get close to each other and Anne struggles more and more with telling the truth to Jeanne, even though her longtime servant tries to convince her to do the right thing.

Though the story of the film could be told in fifteen minutes; nevertheless, the film really lives on its beautifully cinematography and slow pace. The takes are long and so give the viewer the chance to study the emotions of the characters.

First time director Piero Messina plays with the elements of sorrow and hope in a way that allows the viewer relate to his melancholic approach. He doesn’t rush anything; rather he lets the characters develop so we get to know and really care about them.

Anne is portrayed by the French actress Juliette Binoche, who won an Academy Award for her performance in The English Patient. Binoche brings the role of Anne to life; she is convincing, and I could really feel her pain of losing her son and also the joy that Jeanne brings to her. Lou de Laâge plays Jeanne, and from the moment she comes on screen I was in awe of her performance, her sweetness and vulnerability. She is very organic and nothing seems forced. However, my favorite character is the servant Pietro played by Giorgio Colangeli. Pietro is mystic and fascinating every time he is on screen. He is the conscience of Anna but also her friend and her support, the man she is missing without the romance.

The Wait is not for everybody: it is slow, sad, and hopeful at the same time, but through it I could put myself into a space which we usually cannot experience in our fast-paced world.