Italian drama in which a kind-hearted sharecropper from a secluded rural community befriends a rich young man.
Happy as Lazzaro is occasionally a little on the nose but, thanks to the empathetic depiction of its saintly lead and Rohrwacher's knack for depicting convincing and intimate communities, this journey through a broken economy is an emotionally engaging triumph.
Formally enrapturing and intellectually rigorous.
Alice Rohrwacher’s enigmatic drama is an unsettling and moving satire about the unquestioning toil of peasants’ lives.
A quietly beautiful film, as modest as it is ambitious.
Happy As Lazzaro is s-l-o-w and its narrative twist will alienate some. But this is deliberate, singular filmmaking, at once poetic and down-to-earth, from an unsung talent. Let’s be clear: Alice Rohrwacher should cherished.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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