In an era where relationship dramas often rely on predictable, vocal confrontations, actor-turned-director Anna Foglietta offers a different approach in her feature “A Common Story.” Premiering in the Orizzonti sidebar at the Venice film festival, the film explores the quiet devastation of a couple unable to articulate their emotions. Foglietta’s background as a performer informs the narrative’s sensitivity to silence, allowing actors Alba Rohrwacher and Guido Caprino to deliver standout performances that highlight the power of what remains unsaid.
The story follows Erika (Rohrwacher) and Mauro (Caprino), parents whose lives restructure after their daughter Irene (Ksenia Borzak) departs for university. Irene is likely the first in her family to pursue higher education, a source of immense pride for her parents. Upon returning home to their empty house, the couple falls into established routines: Mauro works in construction alongside his father, Marcello (Elio De Capitani), while Erika works as a supermarket cashier.
For Erika, identity has long been tied to utility. Her days were structured around baking, caring for her mother Altea (Caterina Casini), and maintaining the household. Now nearly 45 and facing an empty nest, she finds herself adrift without the tools to process her shifting sense of purpose. Unlike modern feminist narratives that provide vocabulary for such dissatisfaction, Erika lacks the language to understand her own depression, making it impossible for her to share her despair with Mauro.
Mauro, meanwhile, struggles with his own crisis of identity. Tasked with holding the family together, he feels emasculated by his father’s constant criticism and further humiliated when he discovers Marcello sold the family business without consulting him. This loss of control mirrors the emotional disintegration occurring within his marriage.
Foglietta employs a distinctive visual style, utilizing long takes and careful framing by cinematographer Andrea Benjamin Manenti to create barriers within the fixed field of vision. The film’s only major argument between the couple occurs in a parked car; the camera initially observes them through windows from a distance before moving in close as Erika’s breakdown escalates. Despite the raw emotion, the couple still fails to find the words to express their vulnerability.
A poignant scene illustrates Erika’s disconnect from consumer culture and her own self-image. After seeing a telemarketing infomercial, she calls a number to ask about a face cream but cannot answer basic questions about her skin type, having never considered herself an individual separate from her roles. Disillusioned, she hangs up, highlighting Rohrwacher’s delicate portrayal of a woman hollowed out yet in turmoil. Caprino matches this subtlety, conveying Mauro’s bewilderment through body language and charged silences.
Through its restrained approach, “A Common Story” depicts a couple on the verge of collapse, bound by a deep love that remains just out of reach of expression.
Sounds like a slow burn. Do the long takes get tedious or does the tension build enough?
Love how she uses framing to show emotional barriers. The telemarketing bit really highlights Erika’s loss of self.
The car scene description is haunting. Sometimes the loudest moments happen in silence.
Is the empty nest angle too cliché for such an avant-garde visual style? Skeptical but intrigued.
Rohrwacher is always mesmerizing. This sounds like a deeply moving portrayal of quiet despair.