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The Unknown Woman
La sconosciuta
2006 118 min Italy, France R 16+
★7.2
Thriller, Drama, Mystery
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Trailers
Description
A Ukrainian woman named Irena calculatedly insinuates herself into the lives of a young, affluent Italian family. Stopping at nothing to become the couple's trusted maid and the beloved nanny to their fragile young daughter, Irena risks everything in her quest to uncover the truth about the family.
Budget:
$8M
US Gross:
$152,114
Worldwide:
$6.88M
Starring
Ksenia Rappoport
Actor
Michele Placido
Actor
Claudia Gerini
Actor
Awards
Moscow International Film Festival 2007
— Silver Saint George – Best Director
European Film Awards 2007
— Audience Award – Best Film
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Actress
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Director
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Cinematography
Moscow International Film Festival 2007
— Golden Saint George – Best Film
Key opinion
Giuseppe Tornatore’s 'La sconosciuta' is widely regarded as a deeply emotional and tension-filled drama, anchored by a powerful lead performance. While critics praise the film’s atmosphere and the evocative score, some viewers find the plot’s reliance on shocking twists and its fragmented narrative to be uneven or occasionally implausible.
| Acting | Ksenia Rappoport delivers a fierce, nuanced, and emotionally resonant performance that serves as the film's anchor. | |
| Score | Ennio Morricone’s symphonic score effectively heightens the film's lyrical and oppressive atmosphere. | |
| Cinematography | The film’s cinematography and visual elegance successfully elevate the drama through a distinct, stylish European tone. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative's shift into extreme, shock-heavy melodrama and its inclusion of absurd criminal subplots divide opinion between those who find them visceral and those who find them narratively clunky. | |
| Pacing | While many admire the film's relentless, mystery-driven tension, others feel the runtime is excessive and the final resolution is unsatisfactorily vague. |