l_rawjalaurence Judging by the comments of previous reviewers, Saverio Costanzo's film has divided reviewers and audiences alike. Perhaps this is due to its combination of tones: the apparently artless beginning that does not prepare us in any way for the film's major issue, that of how to reconcile one's inner beliefs with the realities of bringing up a child. Or perhaps it's because of the desperate measures adopted by the child's grandmother (Roberta Maxwell) in an attempt to ensure the child's future welfare. Some have dismissed them as melodramatic: one wonders what they might do in a similar situation.The main point at issue here is one of obsession: Mina (Alba Rohrwacher) believes that her newly-born son is somehow special and needs to be "protected" from supposedly corrupting influences such as doctors, red meat or sunlight. The fact that this results in the child's attenuated growth is a side-effect. Her husband Jude (Adam Driver) tries to make her see reason (as he perceives it), but fails to do so. Director Costanzo invites us to reflect on the morality of both protagonists - is one "right" and the other "wrong"? Or are there other issues involved here?What gives the film its particular resonance is its style. Very little music appears on the soundtrack - except at the end; hence we as viewers are not guided into making a specific response to what we see. Fabio Cianchetti's camera is fond of consciously out-of-focus shots, transforming the characters into other-worldly beings rather than New Yorkers. This strategy reminds us quite powerfully of how anyone departing from ideological or social behavioral norms is invariably dismissed as "deviant." Sometimes this visual technique seems excessive - as for example, when Mina is shot in such a way as to emphasize a large head and skinny body - but we can understand the purpose behind it.In this kind of film, it is difficult to maintain some sense of dramatic balance. All credit, then, to the three protagonists, whose performances seem inspired by the situations contained in the screenplay, and refrain from dramatic or gestural excesses.

Sergeant_Tibbs While we patiently wait for Adam Driver to become a household name, there's plenty of big screen spoils from last year's film festivals to enjoy, including While We're Young and Hungry Hearts. It opens with a misleading, endearing and hilarious meet-cute where Driver and co-star Alba Rohrwacher first fall in love trapped in a bathroom with Driver's own stench. Perhaps sly foreshadowing that their story revolves around nutrition, I didn't expect the film to focus on the 'hungry' part of its 'hearts' while I prepared for something humorous and composed. It's none of those two. While it peaks in its opening minutes, that's not to say there isn't something of worth to follow. The idea of having the diet of a child being the source of conflict between a couple is unique in cinema, but a very real concern. It does paint Rohrwacher as too much of a villain at times but the duo's impeccable performances do their characters justice and it's often heartbreaking. It's such a shame that it's incompetently shot. I get the raw intimate aesthetic, but it feels like rehearsal footage, and when it's being creative with fish eye lenses to distort Rohrwacher's figure, it feels far too on-the-nose. The misguided style holds the film back, but the performances win out.7/10

Alex Ellis I loved it. Really did. At The next to the last scene, I was shocked and surprised and when it was over we turned to each other and said "that was good" I noticed the not washing the hands in the first scene too. I felt the claustrophobia of the apartment. I felt the desperation of the husband. I felt the psychosis of the mother. I felt sympathy for the grandmother. I was immersed in the film and enjoyed it. The run time is just over an hour. Perfect length. Satisfying ending. Strange stairs into the apartment. cool rooftop garden. I couldn't live in the city like that. I need room. I enjoyed the movie. Took place in New York City.

Lucas Versantvoort Hungry Hearts. For a film that's been compared by some to a Hitchcock or Polanski film, it sure holds a disappointing rating on IMDb. Nevertheless, the film has one of the better opening scenes of recent years and presents some interesting ideas despite its plodding pace.We meet Jude and Mina in the restroom of a Chinese restaurant. The door gets stuck and so do they. After the initial awkwardness of their predicament fades away, they bond a little and we find them in bed together the morning after. She gets a call from work back in Italy. She'll have to go back in a month or two. They have sex and before you know it, Mina's pregnant. She has a recurring dream about she and Jude having sex when she suddenly hears a gunshot. It's a deer, killed by a distant hunter with a rifle. After the baby arrives, she retreats into her own private world more and more, seeking to protect the baby from all outside influence. Unfortunately, this also means no meat, no doctors, etc. When this starts affecting the child's development, Jude becomes increasingly torn between his love for Mina and his paternal instincts.A psychological thriller at heart, Hungry Hearts succeeds in presenting the downward slide that is Jude and Mina's relationship. The focus mostly lies with Jude, while Mina's relegated more and more to saying that what she does is best for the child. It's engaging to see Jude trying to get out of the bind he's in: he wants to maintain his bond with Mina while also doing what's best for the child's health, but this becomes next to impossible as time goes by.While Mina gets the short end of the narrative stick for the bulk of the film, the story does intriguingly hint at where her (assumedly) postnatal depression started. Rather than seeing Jude as the victim of her sudden radical change in behavior, I believe the film hints that he may be partly responsible. Firstly, consider the fact she first meets Jude in a public restroom where he just finished a…number two. It's at least ironic when you link this scene with her eventual obsession with cleanliness. Secondly, you could argue Jude rapes her when she announces her eventual return to Italy. He playfully makes love to her, grabbing her hands and saying something like 'try to get away now'. It's all fun and games until she tells him to not come inside her which he of course does. It's not 'rape' rape, but I doubt 'consensual' is a more accurate description. Basically, the love-struck Jude doesn't want to lose her, so he symbolically traps her by impregnating her. It's also not a coincidence Mina's recurring nightmare starts with them having sex, in a kitchen no less. The whole foundation of their relationship and their baby is rooted in themes of hygiene, food and entrapment with Mina having no real say in the matter.All this and more dominates the film's excellent first half hour. Unfortunately, the film tends to get stuck in a rut after that. The film wants to build up to the decisive moment, a breaking point in Jude and Mina's struggle for their baby, but it wants to get there in a too realistically slow-paced way. We basically get the same type of scene repeated in a slightly tenser variation. Mina first relies upon Jude's trust in her regarding the baby's upbringing, but when Jude grows ever more suspicious they both rely upon deception more and more.There's also the matter of the film's wonderful opening. I'm dead serious when I say this is the only scene in the entire film that's meant as funny and endearing. While it does an excellent job in making us like the protagonists, it's also depressing when you realize it's all downhill after that, resulting in a very serious affair that in the end conflicts stylistically with the film's naturally funny opening. I'm also conflicted regarding the ending: either it's unethical and over-the-top or it makes sense in a strange utilitarian sort of way. It's a good film regardless, though one with zero replay value.