Venice Orizzonti’s opening film, Nonostante, by renowned actor Valerio Mastandrea, premiered with a special message: always maintain an optimistic outlook and treasure your dreams, even while you’re not physically awake.
An enigmatic yet exuberant hospital patient in a tuxedo is loitering in a hospital (not a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff), and then the realization hits you: he’s not actually ‘present’ in the living world. Versatile actor Valerio Mastandrea (Lele in Perfect Strangers), through his directorial route, delivers an ostensible sequel to his 2018 film, Ride, where the theme of life and death continues to fill the cinematic space. Valerio’s character, Lui, along with several other members of the “astral projection” committee in the hospital, perceive each other as housemates and inhabit an alternate realm that remains invisible to the living. The hospital serves as a transitional space for these lost souls, either desiring a shift or merely roaming around without an outright reason. There aren’t many guidelines to adhere to, but a sudden gust of wind signals the approaching end of their existence. Lei (Dolores Fonzi) joins the pack without any feasible idea of how these new destinations function, while Lui gives her a heads-up on how it all works. A whole new experience awaits Lei and Lui as these polar-opposite pairs mentor each other, seeking answers through the labyrinths of uncertainty and destiny.
Valerio assumes the role of a god, offering the audience a glimpse into the inverted world, a mystery beyond scientific explanation. However, instead of focusing on a theoretical explanation, Valerio creates a setting that engages the audience in sentimentalism, similar to the concepts in Pedro Almodóvar’s films. It’s a slingshot on how wandering souls vary depending on the preferences they have—either to discover their right time to move on or to live a light-hearted life to enjoy the state they are in while also providing themselves with time to decipher their incomplete missions and qualms. Perhaps it’s a sanctuary or a heaven of sorts—but it differs based on how one perceives it. Clearly, this is not a mainstream teenage drama reminiscent of If I Stay by R. J. Cutler, but it is a comedic and mature look at living life to the fullest, even when it means facing death along the life line. Notably, Guido Michelotti’s range of score genres is phenomenal, creating definition for each emotion present in the ensemble. Valerio, in his role as Lui, exudes a genuine sense of humor, evoking actor George Clooney‘s spirit through his charm, as well as his forthright and unblemished jokes that resonate deeply with purity.
Nonostante’s experimental take on a fantasy drama envisions a modest yet impassioned view of looking at the brighter side of being alive in every dimension of the world. It’s a peppy insight into touring what’s left to choose and decide while life’s peaks and valleys glare at you. The film indirectly expresses that comatose patients are very much conscious, having the same traits embedded within them but with the limitation of expressing them physically. For everyone in the crowds holding out hope that their loved ones may open their eyes one day, the phrase “Everything is balance, balance is everything” resonates like a secret note, soaking them with warmth and hope that every word of wisdom will be balanced with a boost to awaken.
Simultaneously, in a tranquil and loving realm, similar to the tender scenes between Cobb and Mal in Inception, the power of love can ignite a greater gust of transformation—perhaps even change fate.
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