Following the critically lauded Respiro, Emanuele Crialese made this mini-epic of voyage and discovery at the turn of the 20th century.
The result ponderously charts the journey of a poverty-stricken family from their home in the Sicilian countryside to the steerage quarters of an ocean liner en route to America’s immigration HQ - Ellis Island. As mysterious English rose Lucy, Charlotte Gainsbourg attaches herself to the family, immersing herself in Salvatore’s (Vincenzo Amato) surreal visions of the New World.
Unfortunately, Crialese’s ship hits stormy waters after a series of tedious character introductions set the tone for what is a curiously anaemic movie.