Review of Tommaso (2020) by Brent_Marchant — 12 Jun 2020

This overlong, meandering character study about an aging American actor/filmmaker living in Rome with his young wife and daughter as he attempts to build a new life in the wake of wild younger days characterized by irresponsibility and substance abuse never quite hits its stride.

The film offers no definitive answers to his dilemma -- in itself a refreshingly blunt and honest characterization of his circumstances -- but the inclusion of considerable easily edited extraneous material, as well as fantasy sequences that don't always work, makes for a tedious slog, leaving the viewer waiting for something profound, moving or significant to happen that never does.

Director Abel Ferrara's latest obviously is personally meaningful to the filmmaker (an attribute made apparent through the fine lead performance of Willem Dafoe), and its cinematography and production design make for a visually interesting offering.

But a lack of focus, a pretentious, myopic narrative, and an overall self-indulgent approach can't save a release for which resisting the temptation of the fast forward button is indeed quite a challenge.