LACCI/THE TIES

Italy, 2020, 100 minutes, Colour.

Alba Rohrwacher, Luigi lo Cascio, Laura Morandi, Silvio Orlando, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Adriano Giannini, Linda Caridi.

Directed by Daniel Lucchetti.

Something of a different take on the exploration of a marriage and its breakdown. The title, Lacci/ The Ties, his provocative, especially since the central couple are not married, have an arranged commitment – which breaks down.

The first part of the film is set in Naples around 1980, the cheerful beginning, a children’s gathering and dancing, mother, father, boy, girl, all returning happily home, making sandwiches, sitting together watching the television at a documentary. And the father, who in fact is a reader on radio, reading the children a bedtime story. And, that is the last peaceful scene.

There is tension in the kitchen and the father, Aldo (Luigi lo Cascio) blurts out to Vanda (Alba Rohrwacher) that he is in a relationship – in fact, with one of the staff at the radio station in Rome.

We watch the reactions, somewhat impassive response of Aldo, his packing and leaving, and the anger and self-absorption of funder, as well is the effect on the two children, and this continues over some time, even to a fight between Aldo and Vanda in the streets, the children in the car watching. And Vanda visiting the radio station and icily staring at the other woman, Lydia.

Then, a surprise. The action advances thirty years, an older Aldo (Silvio Orlando) and Vanda (Laura Morante) together in old age, which keeps is wondering about the nature of the relationship and what has happened over the decades. There is tension. There is a situation where Aldo gives a woman delivering some goods more money than she deserved, then their going on a holiday together. But, on their return, they find the apartment completely trashed. The young woman is an obvious suspect.

During these scenes there are many returns to the past, taking the action on a bit further in the strained relationship then.

But, it is at this time that we see the adult children, their discussions about their lives, the reaction to their parents, the fact that they are to look after the apartment while their parents on holiday, the going to the apartment and, before we see it happen, we realise that it is they who have trashed everything.

And, that is where we are left – to our own reactions, to our reflections.

1. The title, commitments, bonds, men and women, marriage, parenting?
2. An Italian drama, universal? The atmosphere of Naples in the 1980s? The atmosphere of Rome? Moving forward to the 21^st century, the mansion, interiors and destruction? The musical score?
3. Setting the tone, the celebration with the children, the line dance, the family going home, the meal, sandwiches, watching the television together? The father reading the story, the children going to sleep?
4. The tensions, the fact the couple were not married, the commitment, tensions at home, the 12 years, the children, Aldo confessing the relationship, Vanda’s reaction? Ousting him? His relationship with Lydia? At the radio station, his readings, literary comments? Lydia part of the technical staff? Vanda and her visit, staring at Lydia?
5. Moving forward, Vanda looking after the children, the time with their father, his coming home, Vanda wanting him to come back and support the family? The children in their time with him, with his parents, his returning them early?
6. Audience response to Aldo, his behaviour, betrayal, with the children, fickle? Audience response to Vanda, her past, parenting, love for Aldo, yet the focus on herself?
7. Vanda with the children in the car, watching Lydia and told in the street, the fights? The buildup to a final separation?
8. The film fast forwarding to the 21^st century, the couple older, living together for decades, yet his contact with Lydia, the secret photos, the question of funder and relationships? The comfortable home, going on holidays, the importance of the cat (and the irony of his nickname as Beast with the Latin dictionary and derogatory meanings)? Packing up, going, the holiday, returning, the destruction in the house?
9. The incident of Aldo, the woman with the delivery, the wrong price, his tip, seeing her afterwards, suspicions? The return to the house, the photography? Audience suspicions?
10. The film returning to the past and intercutting with the future, the children growing up, Anna and her being surly, Sandro and his father?
11. The scenes with Anna and Sandro, the relationship with their parents, Sandro and his marriages, Anna not marrying, to look after the house during the holiday break, the cat? The going to the house, the discussions, memories of the past, their parents, judgement of their parents, the reaction, starting to throw the papers, then proceeding to trash the house completely?
12. And leaving this with the audience?