Just out of jail, crumpled English archaeologist Arthur reconnects with his wayward crew of tombaroli accomplices – a happy-go-lucky collective of itinerant grave-robbers who survive by looting Etruscan tombs and fencing the ancient treasures they dig up.
Josh O'Connor
Arthur
Carol Duarte
Italia
Alba Rohrwacher
Spartaco
Isabella Rossellini
Flora
Vincenzo Nemolato
Pirro
Lou Roy-Lecollinet
Melodie
Giuliano Mantovani
Jerry
Gian Piero Capretto
Mario
Melchiorre Pala
Melchiorre
Ramona Fiorini
Fabiana
Luca Gargiullo
Il portuale
Yle Vianello
Beniamina
Barbara Chiesa
Nella
Elisabetta Perotto
Vera
Chiara Pazzaglia
Rossa
Francesca Carrain
Sista
Luciano Vergaro
Katir
Carlo Tarmati
Carabiniere
Valentino Santagati
Cantastorie
Piero Crucitti
Cantastorie
Milutin Dapčević
Spalletta
Luke Chikovani
Cico il tossico
Julia Vella
Colombina
Agnese Graziani
Agnese
Alessandro Genovesi
Controllore
Cristiano Piazzati
Venditore ambulante
Sofia Stangherlin
Sofia
Marianna Pantani
Ragazza dal profilo etrusco
Maria Alexandra Lungu
Alexandra
Paolo Bizzarri
Rospo
Claudio Fabbri
Gatto
Monaldo Gazzella
Volpe
Sofija Zobina
Sofija
Silvia Lucarini
Silvia
Pancrazio Capretto
Zio di Jerry
Elisabetta Anella
Figlia maggiore di Nella
Maddalena Baiocco
Figlia minore di Nella
Leila Nuniz
Leila
Giulia Caccavello
Signora veterinario
Franco Barzi
Pastore
Fabrizio Pierini
Vigile baracca
Andrea Pettirossi
Vigile baracca
Maria Pia Clementi
Assistente di Spartaco
Anna DeLuca
Hostess 2
Adriano Tardiolo
(uncredited)
Director, Writer
Alice Rohrwacher
October 19, 2023
7
When an English tomb raider (Josh O’Connor) skilled at dowsing uses his skills to hunt down buried Etruscan artifacts, he achieves success at his craft but suffers setbacks when he falls in with the wrong crowd. As a consequence, he drifts through life, trying to find his way (and, ironically enough, a moral footing), an odyssey filled with quirky people and events, a would-be romantic interest (Carol Duarte) with two carefully concealed children, an aging operatic instructor (Isabella Rossellini) skilled at fleecing her “students,” and, of course, his coterie of comical criminal cronies. Writer-director Alice Rohrwacher’s latest tells a delightful fable full of wit, whimsy, colorful characters, high intrigue and its share of surreal moments, all set against the Italian landscape. The film admittedly takes a little time to find its stride, so getting through the opening act will require some patience (editing here would have helped). But, once the picture finds its way, it becomes a fun-filled ride, peppered with absurdist humor and filmed with Fellini-esque cinematography and a production design reminiscent of the famed auteur. With a runtime of 2:10:00, it could stand some trimming (most notably at the outset, as noted above), but this cinematic charmer is a modestly pleasant diversion to watch while stretched out on the couch while casually savoring a demitasse of espresso and a plate of biscotti. Godere!