TRE PIANI/ THREE FLOORS

Italy, 2021, 119 minutes, Colour.

Riccardo Scarmarcio, Eleanor Lietti, Alba Rohrwacher, Adriano Giannini, Margharita Buy, Nanni Moretti, Denise Tantucci, Alessandro Sperduti, Anna Bonaiuto, Polo Graziosi, Stefano dionisis, Teco Celio.

Directed by Nanni Moretti.

Nanni Moretti is one of Italy’s best known and best loved writers and directors. He is a popular favourite, a festival favourite, winning in Cannes in 2002 with his very moving film, The Son’s Room.

Usually Moretti write his own screenplays but here he has adapted an Israeli novel, transferring the action from Jerusalem to Rome.

As with the title, we expect different stories from the different levels of the three floors of the apartment building. While each has a distinctive and dramatic story, there are the linkings.

The initial story focuses on a family, a creative husband, played by Riccardo Scarmacio, a businesslike wife, the young daughter. Both busy, they entrust their young daughter to the neighbours, an elderly man and his wife, the old man suffering from some dementia, but the crisis coming when the little girl goes out with the old man for ice cream and they get lost in the park, he collapsing. The father then becomes obsessed that the old man has assaulted his daughter, coming to hospital and threatening him, totally absorbed and possessed. However, a dramatic turn of events when the granddaughter of the old man comes from Paris, flirts with the husband, is seductive and he succumbs.

In the meantime, there is a young pregnant woman, her husband away, her wanting to get to hospital, almost knocked over by a runaway car, a drunken driver who knocks over the pedestrian and kills her, crashing into the workplace of the initial family. The driver is the son of two prestigious judges who also live in the building, the father, played by Nanni Moretti himself with veteran Margarita Buy as his wife, is stone, unforgiving of his son who brutalises him. The pregnant young woman’s husband is away for work, returning periodically.

The reckless driver, callous and excusing himself, goes to trial, found guilty, imprisoned.

Five years pass.

The driver is to be released from prison, refusing contact with his mother, disappearing. The couple are bringing up their young baby but the mother, often intense because of her husband’s absence, dramatic trouble because of her husband’s fraud dealing brother who comes to stay at the house, but visiting her mother and fearing that she might have mental troubles like her mother.

In the meantime, the husband has been taken to court, prosecuted by the young woman but is found not guilty.

Another five years pass.

The audience has got to know the characters quite well. The daughter has grown up and is good friends with the young woman with whom her father had the relationship. On the other, the initial pregnant mother is pregnant again, but with her husband, but suffering from the mental disturbance that she feared. With the two judges, he dies and his wife gives their goods to charity – and the manager of the charity takes her to see her son, his new life. She goes to the husband of the victim that her son killed trying to make amends and discovers something more positive about her son.

Each of the episodes could have been a film in itself. But, this is an involving Italian drama, complex, raising many social and dramatic issues.

1. The work and career of Nanni Moretti, human and humanistic themes? His original screenplays? Awards? An adaptation here of an Israeli novel, transfer from Israel to Italy?
2. The title, the building, the interiors, stairs and corridors, apartments and interiors? The outside of the building? The street?
3. The different stories, the families, independence, interconnections? The structure of the film, moving from one story to the other?
4. The husband and wife, judges, professionals, the raising of their son, his drinking, driving recklessly, missing the pregnant Monica, running down the old lady, crashing into the basement? His arrest? At home with his parents, his resentments, their high demands, his professional father, expectations, disappointments, the son’s reaction, hitting his father, viciously kicking him? Ousted? His relationship with his mother, having to sake the side of her husband against her son? His angers, character, age, justified resentment, drinking, home arrest, leaving, the trial, his wanting favours from his parents for the trial, sentenced, in jail, not wanting his mother to visit, five years in jail?
5. Monica, on the road, alone, pregnant, looking for a taxi, desperate, the accident, in hospital, the birth, the difficulties, the baby, going home, bonding with the child? Her relationship with her husband, his being away for work, the phone calls? Her loneliness? Her fears about caring for the child? The encounter with the judge, her coming into the house, helping Monica with the baby? The husband returning home? The gift of the pram from his brother, his anger at his brother, condemnations? Taking the pram back, confronting his brother? The comment about Monica nicknamed the widow?
6. Lucio and Sara, their marriage, personalities, love for their daughter, their professional life, leaving their daughter with Renato, his age, touches of senility, playing games with Francesca, her writing his back, the reaction of the parents? The support of his wife? The accident and the crash into the basement? Lucio tense? Sara and her professional work? The need to entrust Francesca to Renato despite themselves? The return, their missing, Lucio and his anger, eruption, over the top, suspicions, the contrast with Sara? The search in the park, finding them, Francesca’s story, her idea for the war, the ice cream, Renato’s collapse? The position? Lucio and his accusations?
7. Renato in the hospital, the reaction of his wife, Lucio coming to the hospital, violent threats? Continue to suspicions? Francesca, at school, lonely, Lucio watching through the window, fostering his suspicions? The contrast with his wife and her commonsense?
8. Charlotte, coming from Paris, concern about her grandfather, the visits to hospital, coming to the apartment, the car, flirting with Lucio, her talk sounding permissive, her approach to him, his resistance, succumbing, the encounter, her lying, the loss of her virginity? His leaving? His being taken to court?
9. Five years passing, the changes, Monica and her relationship with her husband, pregnant again, giving birth? The visit to her mother, her mother’s mental health, her own fears? With Beatrice? The exposure of the brother, his swindles, coming to stay, his approach to Monica, playing with Beatrice, the secret, Monica telling the truth to her husband, his reaction, confrontation?
10. Lucio, the relationship with Sara, the truth, moving out, with Francesca? Her not knowing the truth? In court, the testimonies, Sara supporting him? Charlotte and her presence in court, the accusations, the jury, the decision, her wanting to appeal?
11. The judges, their son getting out of prison, rejecting his mother, his disappearance? The death of the judge?
12. Five more years passing? Lucio Lucio, calmer, his wife, his daughter, Charlotte returning, their being friends, Charlotte and the truth? The effect on his life? And is over anxiety about Renato and Francesca?
13. Monica, wandering away, the children, her husband, her phone call, like her mother, mental condition, institution? The father with his two children?
14. The judge, widow, her decisions about her husband and son, giving away the clothes and possessions, the head of the charity, recognising her, his request, travelling by car, wary, her son, married to the man’s daughter, keeping the bees, his mother going to see him, the continued rejection? The suggestion that he apologise to the man whose wife was killed?
15. The judge, the new dress, change of lifestyle, leaving the apartment, her memories? Going to see the widower, apologising on behalf of her son, the revelation that her son was sending jars of honey as some kind of atonement? Her future, possible reconciliation with her son?
16. A cross-section of Roman life, families, themes of mothers, themes of fathers and daughters, sexuality, sexual encounters, violence? Possibilities for forgiveness and reconciliation?