Palace Nova East End
Trapped in the criminal world of drugs, prostitution and baby trafficking, Maria played by Pina Turco lives in an abandoned old yacht club in Castel Volturno, a town north of Naples. Through circumstances that have played out in her life she finds herself earning a living by being one of the chief players in a baby trafficking ring. Maria has become desensitised to any kind of emotion and under the guidance of Zia (Aunty) Mari played by Marina Confalone is expected to be her successor to the business.
A sudden turn of events finds Maria softening her behaviour when Fatima, a pregnant prostitute runs away wanting to keep her baby. Realisation sets in for Maria as she reveals she is also pregnant and can finally empathise with the women struggling to emotionally detach themselves from their babies. When eventually tracking Fatima down she helps her escape knowing that this would be detrimental to her situation financially and personally.
The film delves lightly into the storylines of the characters where you are curious to know more about their life struggles and how they got there. There is one flashback where we find out that Maria was raped as a young child and left floating in the river to be saved by Carlo Pengue played by Massimiliano Rossi, a local side show operator. In later years he becomes instrumental with helping Maria once again in a time of crisis.
The characters in this film are raw and transparent. Its gritty and dirty with only a glimmer of hope. Turco’s portrayal of Maria is at times enrapturing and while it’s difficult to empathise you do want the best outcome for her in a world where there are no guarantees.
The Vice of Hope is a film that shows the dirty side to crime infected communities where hope really is not seen as an option for survival. But as the movie says “because hope is a kind of vice that nobody ever manages to rid themselves of completely” it really does become a survival mechanism for those who don’t have a choice.
No Comments