LIKE SHEEP AMONG WOLVES/ COME PECORI IN MEZZO AI VOLPI

Italy, 2023, 100 minutes, Colour.

Isabella Ragonese, Andrea Arcangeli, Carolina Michelangeli.

Directed by Lyda Patitucci.

For audiences who enjoy a strong police drama, crime and undercover plants, this one is well worth looking for. There are certainly many wolves in the drama, not so many sheep.

The screenplay has been intelligently written, immediately establishing a mood, characters, the potential for twists. The initial focus is on a stern woman, Vera (Isabella Ragonese), who is the driver of the getaway car, the two cheery criminals chatting about the real-life Paris robbery of KimKardashian’s jewellery, their happily recreating the scene and the mood, all the details. In they go to an apartment block, and a victim comes crashing from a balcony on to a neighbouring car. They drive away, the criminals still cheerful and chatty, Vera apprehensive.

Almost immediately we discover that she is undercover, dismayed by what she has just witnessed, then a moody scene, Vera in angry outburst, confronting a former lover, then a visit to the cemetery where we see she has taken her mother’s name for her work. She is actually Stephania.

The main target of the police is a group of Serbian criminals, Vera asked to supply arms for a daring middle of the day van robbery. The cheerful criminals are also part of it but the audience has been introduced two edgy Italian bank robbers, especially Bruno (Andrea Arcangeli), who has served time, and is revealed to have a little daughter but his wife has severe mental and drinking problems, many sequences of clash, but scenes of devotion to Marta, the little daughter.

When Vera sees Bruno as part of the planning for the robbery, there is immediate tension – which really means that the film is operating with two different stories, the planning of the robbery and the relationship between Bruno and Vera and the little girl. The way that this drama is played out is involving, a revelation about Bruno’s highly-religious but self-absorbed father, baptism by immersion in his house, no tolerance for his children and ousting them.

And, speaking of religious, one of the Serbian criminals is also religiously obsessed, having witnessed his daughter being killed and his being spared, so has assumed that God loves him – no matter what he does, know what no matter what the crime.

The robbery sequence is quite tense in its playing out in broad daylight. There are twists in the story of Bruno and Vera, especially in the “humanising” of Vera, some melting of her icy approach to life.

A continually interesting drama.

1. The title, the scriptural quotation, Stephania and Bruno amongst criminals?
2. A crime thriller, undercover, human story, relationships, children and parenting?
3. The room settings, the streets, churches and buildings, warehouses, apartments, the fun fair? The musical score?
4. Establishing characters in tone, Vera driving, the criminals going in, the person falling onto the car, looking at Vera, coma? The story about the robbery of Kim Kardashian and the familiar tones? Carefree? The introduction to Vera, at home, washing, preparing, outings? To the cemetery, her mother’s grave, taking her name, the police contacts and the information? Her going to the apartment of the former lover, the flowers, his sexual behaviour, her anger, leaving?
5. Vera, gradual revelation about her family, seeing her father, the implication of his name, holiness, Sante? Her not happy, leaving? His baptisms by immersion, strictness, confronting Bruno, criticising his way of bringing up his daughter, ousting him? Her saying she was happy only at work?
6. The meeting with the Serbian criminals, her work as a translator, providing cars, the request to provide weapons? The personalities of the Serbians, the religious-minded criminal, stating that God loved him even as he committed crimes, the death of his daughter, his survival? Goran, the contact, the sexual approach to Vera and her rejecting him? The criminals from the earlier crime and their joining the group, planning the robbery?
7. The introduction to Bruno, with Gaetano, the bank robbery, masked, upset, nerves, Gaetano without medication, the manager and his collapse, the taking the money, driving away, Bruno smashing the car window? The irony of Bruno coming in to the meeting with Gaetano, persuaded by him to join the robbery?
8. Vera wary of Bruno, his keeping quiet? Scene with his wife, her tantrums, illness, his outings with his daughter, her age, love for her father, care for her mother? Difficulties at home, Stephania arriving, the discussions between the two, the younger brother, happy memories of childhood, Gaetano later finding the photo of the two? The outing, the fun fair, Marta enjoying herself, going up the high tower with Stephanai? Her warning Bruno to leave, his packing, his fears, passport, his wife’s terms, the danger to his daughter, coming to save her?
9. Vera, her controls, the sympathetic woman, the angry man, meeting of the cemetery, her deciding to leave, the possibility of months at the beach? The phone call, entering into the plan again? The warnings to Bruno?
10. Bruno, the contact with the sculptor, the fake statues?
11. The group assembling, the information and surveillance, the fans, the hesitations, the discussions, accusations of a traitor, suspicions on Bruno, the gun, Bruno shot? The body in the back of the truck, thrown into the river? The control later telling Stephania that they had found the body? The funeral, the father and his quoting Scripture, confrontation with Stephania, outing her ousting her?
12. The elaborate robbery, the vans, the guns, the open street? Vera and her saving the man in the van? The money? The escape, the rendezvous, Gaetano demanding the money, Bruno share, the small amount given to Vera? Gaetano, the confrontation, his being shot?
13. Vera, change of week, coat, abandoning the bag? With the money? Passing her control, the control nodding, the arrest of the men?
14. Stephania going to see Marta, telling her that her father had was dead, packing up, her final visit to her mother, her mother in bed, slightly smiling, the goodbye? Stephania, the emotion, the previous emotion with the incident of the neighbour’s dog, intruding, its death, her burying it? With her niece, driving together, stopping, hungry, the future?