Beckett: Italian cinema conquers Netflix

Beckett

Netflix continues to speak Italian, preparing to welcome Beckett, a thriller with political implications that, despite an international cast, bears the signature of Italian director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino. Out on the streaming service on August 13th, Beckett is a pleasant reconfirmation of how Italian cinema can deal without fear with the most noble foreign competition, as already demonstrated by Senza Rimorso, available on Amazon Prime Video, or A Classic Horror Story , already present in the Netflix catalog. A happy moment for our cinema, therefore, witnessed by Beckett's debut at the Locarno Film Festival, a prestigious stage where Filomarino's film was successful and appreciated. Deserved tributes, as we have seen while enjoying Beckett's preview, which has brought us back to a cinematic tradition that sees Filomarino's fiction as a worthy heir.

Before delving into Beckett's odyssey, it seems correct to make a clarification. Although it is commercially attractive to present John David Washington, who plays Beckett, as the star of Tenet, we believe it more correct to highlight how the actor worked on Filomarino's film before, receiving news of his involvement in the film on the Greek sets. Nolan. It may seem like a negligible detail, but in addition to indicating how long Beckett's work has been, it is testament to Washington's actor growth and the foresight of the Netflix film's production in identifying a talented actor.

And Washington he has amply repaid this trust, offering an excellent performance for a complex character.

Beckett: Italian cinema with an international flair

During a holiday in Greece, Beckett (John David Washington) and his girlfriend April (Alicia Vikander) decide to leave Athens, discovering that in the days following a political demonstration in support of a moderate exponent was held right in front of their hotel, as opposed to the growing fascist opposition, which is raging in the nation with violent and oppressive methods. April, more open and curious, would like to attend this event, but is convinced by Beckett to avoid the confusion, moving to the discovery of the hinterland.

Couple of postcard-worthy young lovers, different in nature and perfectly matched, with April balancing Beckett's apparent closure. Determined not to lose even a minute of their Greek experience, the two set off at night, but fatigue got the better of Beckett, who lost control of the car in which they were traveling due to a stroke of sleep. of the road and ending up against an abandoned hut.

Regaining consciousness, Beckett finds himself in the hospital, where he learns of April's death. It is the beginning of a series of events that sees the young American become embroiled in a story that directly affects Greek political life, undermining his convictions and making him the target of a ferocious manhunt.

A wanting to look for Beckett's narrative roots, the first thought is a return to the conspiracy thriller of the late 70s, when the ghosts of Watergate and the progressive loss of trust in institutions led to the birth of a film trend that sees in masterpieces such as The Three days of the Condor or All the president's men an incarnation of the paranoia that arose at the discovery of the machinations that took place in the room of power.

Filomarino, also author of the screenplay, proves to have learned the lesson of masters such as Pollack and Pakula, acquiring his critical ability and mastery of narrative timing. Beckett's plot is flawless, precisely articulated and capable of emerging as an engaging thriller at a time when action heroes, as demonstrated by Jolt or John Wick, seem to be the only ones who can play dynamic roles. While not showing the fighting skills displayed in Tenet, Washington gives his Beckett a suffered but tenacious vitality, focusing on stubborn resistance fueled by desperation rather than showing yet another invincible fighter.

Expressive, capable of letting the his own weakness and forced to radically change his worldview, Beckett is a figure far from the hero. Filomarino humanizes it, offers us an individual who is initially focused on his own existence, detached from the world around him, but who in this incredible situation sees in those who spontaneously help him another way of relating. Frightened, alone and hunted down by the police, Beckett through this tragedy matures a new awareness, changes the paradigms of his existence and, above all, experiences a different level of betrayal.

A great thriller with a classic taste.

An emotional construction with attention to the smallest details, with a direction that enhances not only the harsh beauty of the Greek hinterland magnificently enhanced by a clean photograph and the right tones, the perfect setting for this daring manhunt, but which focuses on the protagonists' expressiveness, authentic and realistic. A perfect portrait, based on Filomarino's desire to portray an oppressive and stratified story, which transforms the search for protection of a man lost in a foreign land into a paranoid drama, in which Beckett clashes with the reality of international political machinations, bringing us back to the climate of mistrust in the institutions typical of 70s films.

Sensation reinforced by a minimalist soundtrack, flawless in its valorization of the right moments without stifling the breath of history. Scratchy, disturbing, Ryuichi Sakamoto's soundtrack aims to be an emotional counterpoint that conveys Beckett's disorientation, taking more space in the final phase, letting himself be influenced by the typical sounds of the 70s.

Beckett remains one of the best. more satisfying proposals than Netflix. Despite a naive concession to the spectacularity typical of action movies in the final phase of the film, Filomarino packs a film of great depth, perfectly balanced in all its components, a new demonstration of how Italian cinema has an unparalleled international soul.