In a dystopian present, it hasn’t rained in Rome for three years: the drought has reduced water reserves to a minimum and there’s an epidemic of sleeping sickness carried by cockroaches. Through a city dying of thirst and prohibitions moves a chorus of people, young and old, marginalized and successful, victims and profiteers. Their lives are linked in a single design, while each seeks his or her deliverance … ”<\/p>\n
The film is “an intelligent, ambitious modern melodrama with a bracingly cynical streak,” said one reviewer; another called it “an apocalyptic comedy”, which probably doesn’t do justice to a clever, inventive and handsomely staged film, with an extensive high-calibre ensemble cast that includes Silvio Orlando, Valerio Mastandrea, Sara Serraiocco and Monica Bellucci. It asks questions with its vision of a future, but at the same time is entertainingly engaging.<\/p>\n