Will a departed husband keep on caring for his wife and child, long after he is gone? That seems to be the question asked by this Italian film which we saw recently. Directed by Michele Placido, himself an actor, we are presented with a drama that takes a sort of magical twist that serves as perhaps a disorienting factor for viewers. The film has been compared with "City of Angels" the 1998 American movie with a theme that deals with a similar subject.
Matteo, a doctor at a large Rome hospital, volunteers his time in his off-duty hours to help the paramedics that ride the city streets to help people facing life-threatening situations. He is supposedly happily married to Emma, a neurosurgeon, who works in the same hospital. They enjoy a good living; they are obviously leading a happy life. But are they really?
We have indications the relationship between Matteo and Emma has seen better times. Emma, after a difficult operation, is visited by her colleague, Leonardo, whose intervention during the procedure almost ruined what the team was trying to do. Leonardo clearly shows he is in love with Emma. He forces himself into having sex with her, despite her protests, making her feel terrible for what she has done.
Matteo, who also instructs students about emergency procedures, is clearly taken with Elena, the young woman that volunteers to go with him during one of his night tour at the ambulance. As they respond a call, going over one of the bridges over the Tiber, the vehicle almost collides with a car, which is driven by Leonardo. In order to avoid the impact, the ambulance plunges into the waters where Elena tries to save them.
The rest of the story shows how Matteo and Elena get out of the water, staying away from contacting their families. The tragedy weighs heavily on Emma, who feels guilty about the sex she had with Leonardo, probably at the same time he was going under. The search for their bodies fails, but Matteo's presence is felt in his apartment as he tries to find closure with his loved ones, especially little Ada, his beloved child, while at the same time, being constantly with Elena has another unexpected meaning.
Cheating Notes
07:52 - Wife and her husband have sex in a car.
21:55 - The wife's colleague, the lead surgeon, forces himself on her. She resists but eventually gives in. It's a dark scene.
(Spoiler!)
1:14:01 - The wife has sex with the lead surgeon, but her husband is only a spirit at this point. The scene is brighter this time. At the same time, the husband's spirit also makes love to the spirit of the female trainee who perished with him in the ambulance.
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