Weekend films

'That Summer with Irène', a film about adolescence with a nostalgic flavour

Carlo Sironi's second feature film is in theatres. Also among the new releases is 'Rosalie' by Stéphanie Di Giusto

by Andrea Chimento

31 May 2024

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3' min read

Key points

An unconventional coming-of-age story
Rosalie

3' min read

A small Italian film capable of telling important things: this is how 'Quell'estate con Irène', the second work by Carlo Sironi, a director born in 1983 who made his debut with the surprising 'Sole' in 2019, can be summarised.

Set in 1997, the film is about Clara and Irène, two 17-year-old girls with an illness that forces them to spend long periods in hospital. It is there that they meet and become great friends, despite their different characters.

Clara, shy and introverted, lets herself be overwhelmed by Irène's irrepressible energy, so much so that the two become inseparable and together they dream of freedom far from the shadow of suffering. A dream that soon becomes reality, when one summer day they decide to escape from the hospital and go to a faraway island where they can warm themselves in the sun and spend the most beautiful holiday of their young lives.

Presented in the Generation 14plus section of this year's Berlin Film Festival, 'That Summer with Irène' confirms the talent of a director capable of delicately dealing with themes that are anything but simple.

In spite of a few moments that are a little too immature and some passages that are less spontaneous than others, the film is intense to the right degree and one is able to empathise strongly with the protagonists.

“Quell’estate con Irène” e gli altri film della settimana
Photogallery4 foto

An unconventional coming-of-age story

One could call 'That Summer with Iréne' an original coming-of-age story outside the usual canons of this vein, which has always been much used by many directors to metaphorise a fundamental moment of growth such as adolescence.

At the same time, it is a vital film and a profound reflection on illness, this film by Sironi that can recall the feature films of Eric Rohmer and, without having the depth, that ability to describe youth in a pulsating and sincere manner.

Also because of its overall delicacy, it is a must-see product, despite a sometimes uneven pace that does not make it engaging throughout its duration.

Good performances by the two protagonists Maria Camilla Brandenburg and Noée Abita, called upon to play two roles that are anything but simple.

Rosalie

New releases also include 'Rosalie' by Stéphanie Di Giusto, a film set in 1870s France.

At the centre of the story is Rosalie, a young woman hiding a secret. Since her birth, the young woman has manifested a particular physical characteristic: her body and face are covered in hair. For fear of rejection or being teased, the girl has always been forced to shave.

When Abel, the owner of a debt-laden bar, marries her to mend his finances with her dowry, he has no idea what secret she is hiding.

Presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2023 in the Un certain regard section, 'Rosalie' is a film that thinks about female emancipation, the need to be ourselves in order to have an existence worthy of the name, and the importance of having people next to us who can understand us.

It is certainly an interesting film, but there are too many predictable and didactic moments within an overall design that is nevertheless rich in significant food for thought.

A few more directorial touches would not have hurt, but the film is capable of intriguing and is enhanced by the excellent performances of Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Benoît Magimel. The latter, by the way, is also in our cinemas with 'The Taste of Things', in which he stars alongside Juliette Binoche, giving another noteworthy performance.