Ganobi I don't agree with those who consider La Sconosciuta one of the bad movies by Tornatore.. This is absolutely a very good movie regarding the direction, plot and the performances.. in addition to engaging music .. the issue is that kind of thriller movie belongs to a different category other than Cinema paradise nova.....I like the Unknown Woman so much.. it discusses a very important problem across eastern Europe .. "white Slaves" through a perfectly indirectly done story .. It doesn't contain sex scenes without justification .. and it's really a serious and interesting movie at the same time

random_avenger Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore is probably best know for his nostalgic 1988 film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso that has achieved popularity among both critics and the general public. The Unknown Woman is currently one of his latest films and my first touch with the director's work. While certain aspects keep the movie from rising to the greatest class of thrillers out there, I think there is a lot to like in it as well.The film starts in a powerful and promising way: women in their underwear are being examined through a peephole in the wall of a dark gloomy hall. A voice orders one of them to stay, thus starting the non-chronologically advancing story. The bulk of the plot takes place in an Italian city, where the protagonist, a Ukrainian woman in her thirties named Irena (Kseniya Rappoport), has arrived to find work as a cleaner. After getting a job as the nanny of the Adachers, a wealthy family of three consisting of the father Donato (Pierfrancesco Favino), mother Valeria (Claudia Gerini) and their young daughter Tea (Clara Dossena), Irena enjoys the steady work and the company of the little girl, but also has a secret personal mission for which she is prepared to do whatever necessary. Menacing figures from her traumatic past have not forgotten her either.The strongest element of the film is without a doubt the visual style. The streets and buildings of the autumny city are beautifully photographed and the interior scenes are atmospherically lit throughout. The elegant mise en scène and camera movements are also calm, controlled and pleasant to follow, and the occasional abrasive flashbacks of Irena's past traumas suit the mood well too. The story of the flashbacks is only revealed near the end, until that they remain mysterious and rather disturbing; certain situations would not be out of place in a flat-out gorno movie, even though Tornatore maintains a less in-your-face style of presentation. The happier, earliest flashbacks are seen in hot, idyllic yellow tones that further strengthen the sense of growing bleakness in Irena's life, as the audience already knows that her happiness is going to be severely tainted soon.However, despite the gorgeous visuals, the whole is harmed by certain other aspects that are used in a manner I feel is not fitting for the tone. Most notably, the awarded music by legendary composer Ennio Morricone is relied on way too much when creating suspense: I feel Tornatore's use of almost constantly playing, Hitchcockian string compositions is highly overbearing and overtly manipulative in guiding the audience's emotions to the wanted direction. The stylish, calm visuals are more closely related to the tradition of slow-burning art films than sentimental B-thrillers, so I think a more subdued score would have definitely been more in tune with the classy mood of the story. Luckily later on there are more scenes with less music; as if by magic, the atmosphere feels instantly more suiting.The main theme of the story is probably the nature of family relationships, particularly those between mothers and daughters. Irena has motherly feelings towards Tea, but her past suffering seeps through her attitude into the life of Tea as well, marking another theme the film examines; namely, the effects of severe abuse on a person. The ending revelation provides closure for the story, even though the climax may come across as not entirely convincing, even cheesy. Even so, the creepy Michele Placido is good as the main antagonist Muffa ("Mould"), a violent and sadistic pimp and human trafficker. Kseniya Rappoport has no problems handling the lead acting responsibility as Irena, neither does Claudia Gerini as the jealous Valeria. Clara Dossena delivers a decent performance too, considering her young age.At the end of the day, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed The Unknown Woman as a well-created visual drama-thriller. Morricone's music sadly remains among the weaker links of the effort, even though I think it would surely sound very neat on an album of its own as opposed to being a mere supportive element to the images – the score is just too bold for such a purpose. Other than that, the film is well worth seeing and belongs among the better recent Italian films that I have seen.

jotix100 Irena, who arrives in Trieste, with what appears to be a lot of cash, looking for an apartment where to live; she chooses a dilapidated place that offers an advantage: from its windows, she can spy on the building across the square. In order to gain access, Irina bribes the janitor into getting work as a maid. She seeks Gina, a woman who works for a couple that make jewelry in their spacious apartment. It is clear Irena has something else in mind, and couldn't care less for Gina.When Gina suffers an accident, Irena applies for the position, and surprise, surprise, she gets it. The rapport with the little girl Tea becomes apparent. Valeria Adacher, the lady of the house warns her about Tea, who has what appears to be a neurological condition that makes her fall and cannot get up by herself. She also tells her not to enter her workshop ever. Irina spots the safe where the jewelry is kept. Naturally, one assumes then, her interest in gaining access to the house is to steal, but no, she has something else in mind, as we watch her going over some papers that are kept locked up. Valeria and her husband, Donato, seem not to be a happy couple. They are heard loudly arguing in the background by the maid, so all is not right in their home.Irina and Tea form a tight bond, something that Valeria notices right away. The maid wants to teach the girl how to overcome her handicap, and to this end, she ties Tea and pushes her to the mattresses on the floor and coaxes her into getting up using her technique. In our minds we begin wondering if there is more in Irena's attitude toward Tea because it is a rare thing for a house maid to become so involved in making better someone that is not even related to her.In flashbacks we get to know a little bit of Irena's past. She has been turned into a prostitute by Italian criminals who import these poor girls from Russia. She meets a young man who seems to love her. Since she is what she is, this lover, is made to disappear by Mold, the vicious man that controls her. Irena discovers where he has stashed his cash and tries to kill Mold with scissors, but unknown to her, he survives. Mold has a way of turning up when he is least expected.Things turn out wrong for Irena when Valeria discovers her dark secret. She fires her and forbids her to go near Tea. Unfortunately, Valeria dies in an automobile accident for which Irena is accused of masterminding. At the same time, things about the mystery surrounding the Russian woman are revealed. In her trial, she is convicted and sent to prison. As the film concludes, we see an older Irena who is released after serving time and as she waits for a bus, who would show up to meet her?Giuseppe Tornatore, the talented Italian director of the hugely popular "Cinema Paradiso" and "Malena", just to mention two of his previous films, makes us get involved with this complex story. Working with his collaborator, Massimo DeRita, he has created a multi layered melodrama that involves the viewer. The only problem is that many things are not completely explained. Thus, there is a hint that Donato Adacher has a lot to do in the story, although his participation is a subtle one. The other mystery is Gina, who for all appearances dies in the accident, but later is seen at the nursing home in a catatonic state, but is she really? The idea that Mold can survive the stabbing is hard to digest, after all, it's a big stretch of the imagination to think he can still be around after what Irena does to him. Mr. Tornatore is obviously playing with the viewer in making him believe to look at things a certain way, while he is deceiving our perception of the plot. If all that is superfluous, then the viewer is going to have a great time.Best of all in the film is Ksenia Rappoport, who plays Irena convincingly. She runs away with the film. Ms. Rappoport pulls us into the story without doing much. Claudia Gerini's Valeria is also an asset in the film. Alessandro Haber who plays the janitor has some excellent moments. Michele Placido is seen as the obnoxious criminal Mold. Margherita Buy, one of the best Italian actresses working these days puts in an appearance at the last part of the film. Finally, Clara Dossena makes a valuable contribution as Tea, the sweet child in the story.The musical score by the master of all movie composers, Ennio Morricone, will stay in our minds for a while. Fabion Zamarion's impeccable cinematography makes a great impression. We await Mr. Tornatore's next film impatiently.

aharmas Tornatore has already earned a spot in cinema's hall of fame with its tribute to the movies. He certainly took his time to come up with a film that comes close to match the masterpiece "Paradiso" is, and he might have surpassed it with its emotional impact. "Paradiso" builds on nostalgia and sweetness; "Woman" is a raw, better executed project that explores emotions ranging from sweetness to plain, relentless evil.Kseniya Rappoport plays the title role and does what very few actresses have ever managed to do, a nearly flawless performance, a role of such magnitude and complexity that might serve as inspiration for future generations in the way Vivien Leigh and Meryl Streep set the bar before in "Gone With the Wind" and "Sophie's Choice". Both of those films introduced women who survived, without ever allowing their spirits to become sad entities. Instead, they thrived in the devastating circumstances of each's ordeal. Irena is another survivor, one that can't allow anything to lose her focus. She is driven to recover some of the happiness she found and lost, and with her new "family" she might just do that.Tornatore's storytelling is not linear, and it is one hell of a story, one that will grab your interest, squeeze your heart until it begs for mercy, and one that is bound to provoke more than a few uncomfortable reactions in the audience, as it unfolds each of its many layers. It is modern day Italy, and a woman shows up in a building, asking for work in order to survive. Soon, we learn she has apparently more than enough resources to do very well on her own, but she has a rather dark and traumatizing past, one that is still haunting her, and as we eventually discover, one that might prove to be lethal to a few people in the story.Irena is a formidable woman, a determined fighter who learns quickly and uses her resources fearlessly. She is no superwoman, and eventually learns that her past is still very much affecting her current decisions. Watching the movie, it is hard to keep your eyes away from Irena, as she slowly gets closer and closer to her goal. As we observe her actions and arrive to the heart stopping final minutes of the film, we also wonder what is it that kept her trapped for so many years since she is so able to manipulate people in her current incarnation. It is the only time we question the character's make up, yet we can also remember that Darwin argues the fittest will survive.The film is a work of exquisite writing and editing, with sure direction by Tornatore and one superb score by Ennio Morricone, one that only adds more power to individual scene and is as memorable as some his classic compositions. "Woman" is guaranteed to keep your eyes glued to the screen, and pretty much like "4 Months, 3 Weekss, and 2 Days" last year will leave you gasping for air and reaching for your heart, as we become witness to a story that will pull you its powerful reach but will also repulse because of some dark elements in the make up of human nature.It is an instant classic!