L’Incidente (The Accident) is an interesting character study that evokes questions in one’s morality, in doing business, relations to the overall economy, and how that circles back to the power of family. Namely, what would you do for your family? What would you sacrifice to maintain safety? In Giuseppe Garau’s experimental feature, the answer is: drive a tow truck.

 

There is quiet power in Garau’s show-don’t-tell hour-long feature. However, attempts at heavier  dialogue would have directed stronger sentiments and a deeper level of understanding. As it shows now, L’Incidente feels like a cinematic bring-your-child-to-work day. 

 

Marcella (Giulia Mazzarino) reaches the pinnacle of bad days. She’s fired. Her ex gains full custody of their daughter. And to top it all off, she drives smack into an accident. As silent depression sets in, Marcella decides to become her own boss. She purchases (through a shady loan) a flatbed tow truck and sets off to offer her freelance towing services throughout the city. The work is hard to come by. Yet Marcella makes due. She drives. She eats. She thinks.

 

Marcella then tries to roll her own luck. She begins to cause accidents that she can profit from. The money comes quickly. But then she realizes the price that is being paid on people’s aggravation and suffering. That cost starts to pay a toll on her soul.

 

Garau cleverly sets a stationary camera in the passenger’s seat. We are watching Marcella drive. We see Marcella work. The sun rises and sets. And at times, that single-shot display soon becomes monotonous. The hour ticks by in a repetitive fashion. Yes, we come to understand Marcella and her plight. Garau teases thoughts about the economy in silently questioning why Marcella would seek this work. But he leaves those thoughts unanswered. 

 

Marcella is driven. The viewer is along for the ride. But it would have been nice if we could at least control the radio.