La Chimera
La Chimera

La Chimera

2023Movie131 minItalian

Just out of jail, rumpled English archaeologist Arthur reconnects with his wayward crew of tombaroli accomplices – a happy-go-lucky collective of itinerant grave-robbers who survive by looting Etruscan tombs and fencing the ancient treasures they dig up.

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Insights

IMDb6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes94%
Metacritic84/100
Google Users89%
Director: Alice RohrwacherGenres: Drama, Fantasy

Plot Summary

In 1980s Italy, a British archaeologist named Arthur, grieving the loss of his wife, becomes involved with a gang of tomb robbers who specialize in excavating and selling stolen Etruscan artifacts. Arthur possesses a special gift that allows him to sense these hidden tombs. As he navigates this underground world, he grapples with his past love and the elusive nature of desire, all while the allure of the past and the present collide.

Critical Reception

Alice Rohrwacher's "La Chimera" received widespread critical acclaim for its unique blend of magical realism, poignant storytelling, and stunning visuals. Critics lauded its exploration of love, loss, and the mysterious connection between the living and the dead, often highlighting its poetic and melancholic atmosphere.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its unique magical realism and evocative storytelling.
  • Celebrated for its exploration of themes like love, loss, and archaeology.
  • Noted for its beautiful cinematography and atmospheric direction.

Google audience: Google users largely appreciated "La Chimera" for its artistic vision, captivating narrative, and the emotional depth of its characters. Many highlighted the film's dreamlike quality and its ability to provoke thought and feeling, though some found its pacing deliberate.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival; won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.

Fun Fact

The film's director, Alice Rohrwacher, also appears in the movie as a character named Germania, who is a dressmaker and a confidante to Arthur.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

A rather scruffy looking Josh O'Connor is "Arthur" who has found a way to make a living in rural Italy where he uses his unique gift with a divining rod - well a big twig, really - to uncover ancient artefacts from deep beneath the surface....
Brent Marchant

Brent Marchant

When an English tomb raider (Josh O’Connor) skilled at dowsing uses his skills to hunt down buried Etruscan artifacts, he achieves success at his craft but suffers setbacks when he falls in with the wrong crowd. As a consequence, he drifts ...