Without having read the novel written by Melania Mazzucco, I felt hesitant watching “A Perfect Day (Un giorno perfetto)”, as if I was surrounded by one hundred laughing jackals, sneering at my confusion. Who were these characters, and why did they watch glumly from the shadows?
Director Ferzan Özpetek creates a labyrinth of storylines here, some connected, others only tangentially so, and it feels as if the film is striving to create perplexing shadows by telling us very little. We’re thrown into the middle of a very hectic day, with a endless stream of characters moping around Ozpetek gives us no hints, no threads to pull on.
There’s a powerful politician, his son, the politician’s bodyguard, the ex-wife of the politician’s bodyguard, the teacher of the daughter of the ex-wife of the politician’s bodyguard and on it goes. Until it ends, leaving the viewer sitting there thinking, does it all mean something?
Ozpetek clearly knows his technical trade; filming the movie in Rome, he uses the shadows of the cobblestone streets to paint his images. Every interior shot is warm and wonderfully composed, showing a deftness that seems remarkable. The cast is genuinely talented, from Isabella Ferrari playing the battered single mom, to the radiant beauty of Nicole Grimaudo, each attacking their role with relentless temerity.
Where, then, does “A Perfect Day” fail to impress? In his struggle to paint a mysterious, cryptic picture, full of intricacy and depth, Ozpetek left out the details that make his characters endearing. A scene that should carry great weight the politician sobbing openly in front of his daughter is dismissed by the lack of detail paid to this character. Why should we care if we’ve only seen him in brief moments?
Such pretty images, laid to waste by a script that seems formless and indistinct. Here, the shadows obscure the pictures, instead of adding weight and gravity. “A Perfect Day” is an unsatisfying film, forgettable and shapeless.
I say:
A pity that this film, with its undeniable craftsmanship, should fall so short of its ambition.
See it for:
Some impressive, heavy moments make the film watchable, but only barely.
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