The Israeli-Ukrainian “Valeria Comes to Marry” and the Italian “Settembre” were released simultaneously in theaters and had several things in common: both films were directed by women, and deal with sad or frustrated loves.
The premieres of two sentimental films, written and directed by women, and mostly also starring women: “Valeria comes to get married”by Michal Vinik, and “Settembre”, thus, without translation, by Giulia Louise Steigerwalt, an actress who makes her directorial debut here. Well made, with good character study, meaningful dialogue, good casts and marked criticism of unloving husbands with pretensions of bosses, both are set in suburban neighborhoods, and both are weighed down by the shadow of disappointment.
“Valeria is coming to get married” is an Israeli dramatic piece of rather dull humor, which could well be adapted to the theater, since it takes place practically in one place and in less than a day: how long it takes for a Ukrainian girl to get off the plane, see that the candidate she met on video calls does not suit her, and be sent away back, almost kicking, on the night plane. The detail is that he was not planning to marry for love, but to obtain residency and be close to his sister, that his brother-in-law made the arrangement by charging the would-be husband $5,000 (it is his job) and that the other is a bore, he has good intentions but it’s a pain. In case there was any doubt, her future mother-in-law appears, rude, xenophobic, demanding that the money be returned to her. The boss of the unhappy man also appears, for whom marriage must be seen as a business. He tells the girl and she, who is already panicking, prefers to return to Ukraine. The incredible thing is that similar things still exist in these times, and in supposedly advanced societies. Vinik shows them intelligently, and even allows each character to present their reasons, even if they don’t have them.
“Settembre”, with a cast led by Barbara Ronchi, Thony (born Federica Caiozzo), Croatian Tesa Litvan and veteran Fabrizio Bentivoglio, has another feel. It is the eve of northern autumn, the time of mature loves is approaching, and in this comedy, small, friendly, as modern in some aspects as it is conservative in others, there are loves and heartbreaks ready to define themselves. From the old divorced, lonely doctor, the blonde who serves as his sexual outlet and is in love with a simple baker who ignores his nocturnal profession, the housewife with health problems and a selfish husband, the friend who banks, she too ignored by her husband, to the preteen who faces her first sexual experience with the perhaps wrong boy (“how is that?”, her friend asks, “He’s kind of sticky,” she answers, not wanting to repeat things, but luckily there is another boy). Everyone has their own sadness, and a second chance, which lifts the spirits of the characters, but without clarions of glory. There is a lot of realism and melancholy in these stories, and, as already said, autumn is approaching, not the romantic and crazy spring. The director has a good hand and makes her interpreters shine, almost always in minor tones. Her maturity also goes with her.
“Valeria comes to get married” (Valeria Mithatenet, Israel/Ukraine, 2022); Dir.: M. Vinik; Int.: L Fraifeld, D. Tvoronovich.
“Settembre” (Italy., 2022); Dir.: GL Steigerwalt; Int.: F. Bentivoglio, B. Ronchi, T. Litvan.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
