Themes: Servants and Employers, Interracial/Cross-Cultural Romance
Main Cast: Thandie Newton, David Thewlis, Claudio Santamaria
Release Year: 1998
Country: IT
Run Time: 94 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Bernardo Bertolucci directed this Italian drama co-scripted by Bertolucci and Clare Peploe from a story by British-born writer James Lasdun (co-scripter of Jonathan Nossiter's Sunday). In Rome, reclusive British composer Jason Kinsky (David Thewlis) lives in the building he inherited from his aunt, while his cleaning woman Shandurai (Thandie Newton) resides in the basement, studying medicine. One day, Kinsky tells Shandurai that he loves her and will do anything for her, so she asks him to free her husband, a political prisoner back in Africa. To acquire funds for the man's release, Kinsky begins selling his possessions, including his piano, while Shandurai hangs out with her friend Agostino (Claudio Santamaria), a man angling to get her into bed. Location filming took place in Italy and Kenya. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival and the 1998 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
It is based on the short story "The Siege" by James Lasdun.
Plot
David Thewlis plays an English pianist/composer living in Rome. Thandie Newton plays his housekeeper, an African refugee whose husband is a political prisoner in Africa. The pianist becomes smitten with her and winds up pawning or selling everything he owns [including his most precious possession, a Steinway grand piano] in order to help get her husband out of jail. In the end, the husband gets out of prison and comes to Rome, but she has fallen in love with the Englishman by the time he arrives.
