Peter del Monte is an Italo American good intellectual director. "Compagna di viaggio" was a good example of his independent cinema, one of these directors that are really missed in the Italian distribution scenario today.
Turin, a wet, soaked and rainy city is the frame for a despaired story: Nina (Valeria Golino) has never accepted the broken relationship with her ex-husband. The result of their critical love is a boy that was not assigned to Nina which worsen and weaken her personality. Clara (Margherita Buy), Nina's sister, is a psychiatrist very lonely that spends the day too much involved in her patients without a sane detachment. She is not clever enough and her ideas are confused. Nina has a sort of jealousy for Clara, their relationship is not transparent. Leo was Nina's lover and is another desperate character. Works as a nurse in a hospital and has a special need of love. Leo and Clara get together in an incomprehensible and incommunicable relation. Leo is an impotent man. Their relation is impossible and unbalanced. "...too many words and questions, silence helps thinking and resting" says Nina. The end is tragic and pretty predictable.
The faces have no expression at all and they are burnt out. The dialogues have no logic sense and the message do not get through. The film is completely unsolved and unclear and unfortunately the good actors: Fantastichini, Golino and Buy are wasted.
Rating: 4/10
