Set in 1970s Rome, L’Immensita tells the tale of Adriana (Luana Giuliani), the oldest daughter of Felice (Vincenzo Amaro) and Clara (Penélope Cruz) who are a couple in an unhappy and abusive marriage. As her parents struggle Adriana begins to reject her female name and identity, going by Andrea instead and working to pass to convince everyone that she is a boy. She soon finds solace in Sara (Penelope Nieto Conti) who accepts Andrea’s chosen identity while Andrea’s life collapses around her.
L’Immensita is ultimately a tale regarding outsiders and the search for respite from isolation and ostracization. Adriana’s home life is a chaotic one with her father abusing her mother and her mother bearing the mistreatment as much as possible for the sake of the family, until it becomes too much to bear. This is compounded by Adriana’s transition into Andrea and the lack of acceptance she receives from her father and extended family who are incredulous at her newfound identity. Alongside her younger brother, Adriana happens upon the migrant workers’ camp that Sara stays in and becomes drawn to the ostracized group not just because of her attraction to Sara, but because the experience of the poor and looked down upon workers mirrors her own misfit identity and treatment as someone who has gender dysphoria. The shared sense of being shunned by the larger culture draws Adriana and Sara toward each other and provides both comfort in knowing they aren’t alone. The moments where the two young teens sneak off to meet each other and spend time together provide a glimpse of the reassurance they get from each other’s presence and the general need of people to not feel alone, particularly those from marginalized communities.
The tale at the heart of L’Immensita can be unflinching and raw in its depiction of abusive households and the resulting effects on all who are present to experience it, particularly the children. Adriana’s younger brother Gino (Patrizio Francioni) acts out in response through his issues with using the restroom in his bedroom and Clara’s story arc is a heartbreaking watch. All of the children in the family often dissociate from reality into dream worlds where they perform for audiences alongside their mother, lip-syncing to popular Italian songs, receiving adoration instead of the vitriol they truly deal with from Felice. Despite the weight of the film’s themes and message, L’Immensita is largely a laborious watch that fails to connect. While the characters and their plight are sympathetic, it’s a struggle to connect with them and become truly invested in their stories and arcs. Penélope Cruz performs well enough, but is not enough to make the film interesting.
Image: Music Box Films
