2023 | 112 min | Literary Drama | Italy | Italian with English subtitles

CAST Yile Vianello, Deva Cassel, Nicolas Maupas, Alessandro Piavani

It is set in the foreboding pre-war Torino of 1938 and mirrored by the delicate self-discovering years of early adulthood. Young seamstress Gina moves from the country, to the urbane, sophisticated city with promises of new possibilities, adventure and unimagined desires. Her new friendships expose her to a bohemian circle and possibilities that challenge everything she knows. A passionate romance with a young painter is matched by her feelings for her glamorous and provocative new friend, Amelia.

The costuming and period re-creation is sophisticated and impeccably captured by delicate, thoughtful photography. The cast is led by the brilliant Yile Yara and the mesmerising Deva Cassel (daughter of film royalty Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel). A tender and sensuous story that perfectly captures a fleeting and crucial moment of the journey into adulthood.

La Bella Estate lives up to its title: The screen is alive with the sensual glow of balmy days and nights — and, specifically, with the youthful giddiness that the warmest season rouses. 

Sher Linden. The Hollywood Reporter