In the Mirror (Mi Fanno Male i Capelli)
Monica, adrift in the fog of a memory disorder, begins blurring her life with the screen personas of iconic Italian actress Monica Vitti. As her sense of self frays, she retreats into cinematic fantasies shaped by Vitti’s films, while her husband lovingly plays along, unsure whether he’s protecting her or losing her. A haunting, poetic portrait of identity dissolving into myth, set against the hushed coastline and echoes of Italian cinema’s golden years.
DIRECTOR
Roberta Torre
Actors
1h 23m • Rated TBC • Drama • Italy (2023)
Alba Rohrwacher • Filippo Timi
The make-believe effect is achieved by the exceptional work of costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini and music score by Shigeru Umebayashi — who is none other than the composer for In The Mood For Love. Mi fanno male i capelli is the original name of the film, that would translate to “My Hair Hurts”. This is one of Monica Vitti’s famous lines from the film Il Deserto Rosso (Red Desert), that was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1964.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
Dreamlike, melancholic, cine-obsessed elegy
Director Roberta Torre, inscribes on reel, her love letter towards the esteemed Italian actress Monica Vitti. However, In the Mirror is not a biopic, it’s much better. Monica (Alba Rohrwacher) suffers from the Korsakoff syndrome that affects her memory while at the same time creating false memories. This premise provides an eerie parallel with Monica Vitti’s last years when she was affected by Lewy body dementia. The Monica in Roberta Torre’s film gradually gets swept into a state of confusion as she watches the films of Michelangelo Antonioni’s muse. Meanwhile, her husband Edoardo (Filippo Timi), indulges in her visions whilst they reside in their house by the sea