La sconosciuta (2006)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Giuseppe Tornatore

Writers:

Giuseppe Tornatore (screenplay) and
Massimo De Rita (script collaborator)

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

An Ukrainian woman named Irena calculatedly insinuates herself into the lives of a young, affluent Italian family...

Plot Keywords:

Maid | Nanny | Daughter | Humiliation | Building

Awards:

13 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Kseniya Rappoport	...	Irena (as Xenia Rappoport)
Pierfrancesco Favino	...	Donato Adacher
Alessandro Haber	...	Porter
Claudia Gerini	...	Valeria Adacher
Michele Placido	...	Muffa
Piera Degli Esposti	...	Gina
Margherita Buy	...	Irena's lawyer
Ángela Molina	...	Lucrezia (as Angela Molina)
Clara Dossena	...	Tea Adacher
Nicola Di Pinto	...	Irena's lover
Paolo Elmo	...	Nello
Simona Nobili	...	Policewoman
Elisa Morucci	...	Waitress
Giulia Di Quilio	...	Secretary
Pino Calabrese	...	Magistrate

Also Known As:

L'inconnue (France)
The Other Woman (USA) (wide-release title)
The Unknown (International: English title)
The Unknown Woman (USA) (new title)
La desconocida (Argentina) (Peru) (Spain: Castilian title) [es]
A Desconhecida (Brazil) [pt]
Die Unbekannte (Germany) [de]
Dold identitet (Sweden) [sv]
Esrarengiz kadin (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
I agnosti (Greece) [el]
Nieznajoma (Poland) [pl]
Tuntematon nainen (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing violent content involving rape and torture, graphic nudity, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Sweden:15 | Norway:15 | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Japan:R-15 | Germany:16 | Argentina:18 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Australia:R | Netherlands:16 | Italy:T | New Zealand:R18 | USA:R | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Trieste, Friuli - Venezia Giulia, Italy

Company:

Medusa Film

Trivia:

Italy's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of 'The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)'.

Soundtrack:

Donna non vidi mai

Surprisingly Solid Italian Thriller

The Ukranian Irena (Xenia Rappoport) arrives in the city of Velarchi, rents an expensive but simple apartment and seeks a job as a servant in the building in the other side of the street. Then she manages to work for the wealthy couple of gold dealers Adacher, and occasionally babysitting their little daughter Tea (Clara Dossena), who has a rare neurological disease that leaves the little girl without self-defense against any sort of aggression or accident. While working for the family, she is haunted by recollections from her mysterious past of prostitution and violence in Ukrania. However, her nightmares come true when she meets her former pimp that she believed had died.

"La Sconosciuta" is a surprisingly solid and original Italian thriller, with an engaging dramatic story disclosed like a puzzle through a non-linear screenplay. I saw this movie on DVD with a group of friends with low expectation and we found it so good that we never dare to stop the film to make any comment, or drink water or go to a toilet so absorbed we were with the story. The direction of Giuseppe Tornatore from "Cinema Paradiso" is outstanding, with top-notch performances of Xenia Rappoport, Clara Dossena and the cast. The resolution of the plot is excellent and never corny. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Desconhecida" ("The Unknown")