The concept of separate but intertwining narratives isn’t a new one. From Oscar-winning films like Crash and Babel to holiday classics like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day, filmmakers have used the technique of interconnected stories for ages — some more effectively than others. The idea of tensions running high during a heatwave is a classic narrative too, like in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and the recent adaptation of In the Heights.

Ginevra Elkann’s I Told You So employs both of these storytelling devices, as it follows a group of people with various vices struggling to get through a heat wave in Rome. There’s 80s porn star Pupa (Valeria Golino) and her jealous ex-friend Gianna (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), who’s out for revenge. Gianna’s exhausted caretaker daughter Mila (Sofia Panizzi) is also featured, as is the community priest, Father Bill (Danny Huston), who’s struggling with drug dependency. Bill is trying to juggle helping Caterina (Alba Rohrwacher) with her alcohol addiction and the arrival of his sister (Greta Scacchi), who is in town to bury their mother. Sound like a lot going on? It is. And that can act as both a benefit and detriment to the film.

Not All of ‘I Told You So’s Storylines Are Created Equal
Image via The Match Factory

There are things to like about all of the characters’ journeys, and none of them feel particularly out of place or forced in — which is a feat in and of itself when handling so many. All of the relationships link together in a way that feels logically and thematically natural, creating an interesting mosaic of various slice-of-life segments.

However, it’s nearly impossible for each storyline to be equally engaging, and unfortunately, I Told You So doesn’t manage to achieve the difficult task. The dynamic between Gianna and Pupa is by far the most interesting and fleshed-out of the bunch, as it has the most surprises and nuance. We’re led to believe that Pupa is the wild one, what with the stereotypes that come with being an eccentric, outgoing sex worker. However, the movie quickly subverts expectations by having the mousy, ultra-religious Gianna become the more dangerous and unhinged of the two.

There’s so much rich material planted through their story — the price of fame, the complexities of a friendship fallout, the juxtaposition of piousness and promiscuity — that one can’t help but be a little disappointed the entire movie isn’t centered on these two women and their history. Theirs is a timeless tale with a fresh twist — a classic story ripe with both tragic inevitability as well as beats of deliciously dark comedy. The movie is at its strongest when it’s revolving around these foes and foils.

Mila’s story raises interesting concepts but doesn’t spend as much time addressing them. She’s a binge-eater, which is a taboo topic not explored much in media, but it feels a little random and pointless, as it’s not delved into as deeply as one might hope. Her story is stressful but sweet as she finds reprieve from her overbearing mother through support from two unexpected sources: the elderly woman she cares for (Marisa Borini) and the delivery driver who brings the food she binges (Cosimo Longo).

While Mila’s issue feels revolutionary without enough time to address it, Bill and Caterina’s have the opposite problem, feeling a bit generic and cliche. Watching Caterina struggle to connect with her son is moving, and Rohrwacher gives an excellent performance, but there’s not enough to set it apart from dramas that have covered the same topic. Bill’s arc is arguably the weakest, as we won’t get to know him well enough to be compelled by tension with his sister or his own pressures. There are kernels of intriguing things — Mila makes beautiful art, and the fact Bill is a priest is a new take — but they’re not as central as they could be, making their journeys feel slightly hollow.

‘I Told You So’ Raises Interesting Questions but Struggles to Answer Them
Image via TIFF

There’s a theme that I Told You So seems interested in exploring, which is that everybody has a vice. It’s clear what each of these is — Gianna’s is religion, Pupa’s is fame, Mila’s is food, Bill’s is heroin, and Caterina’s is alcohol — but what’s not clear is what the movie wants to say about this. Not every movie has to have obvious commentary or answers, but this movie makes such a point to hit you over the head with these coping mechanisms that we need a better hint as to why. Everyone is hiding from things and dealing with stress in self-destructive, catastrophic ways, but the purpose of showcasing this is unclear.

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The theme of motherhood also seems important. Mila doesn’t get the support she needs from her own mother but finds it in the woman she works for; Caterina’s depression makes it hard to be a mother to her son, and her son notices this; it’s referenced that Bill’s mother wasn’t exactly warm and nurturing. But despite these narrative ties, the film doesn’t take that extra step to examine the question of what it means to be a mother or what makes a good one. The film presents fascinating concepts throughout, but it frustratingly doesn’t seem to know what it wants to say about them.

‘I Told You So’ Is Aesthetically Beautiful
Image via TIFF

While I Told You So can stumble when it comes to the writing, its visuals are consistently stunning. The pastel color palette is enchanting and hypnotic, giving everything a heightened, stylized, and slightly surreal feel. Its strongest craft moments match up with its best narrative ones, as the details in Pupa’s world are the most spellbinding, from the cotton candy blues and pinks to shimmery silvers. The costume and makeup design add to its effectiveness, and highlights include the 2000s-era velvet tracksuit and flower hairpiece during her comeback concert. The score, too, contributes to the immersion.

Still, underneath the glamor, there’s a desperation and ugliness. The movie takes place amid a heatwave, after all, and the characters are often drenched in sweat or fanning themselves. Intermixed with the dreamy colors are bold reds and oranges that emphasize the stifling temperatures. We can feel the sun beating down through the screen and understand why this environment seems to be making everyone go a little crazy.

I Told You So is a good movie that had the potential to be a great one. Elkann is a visionary with the ability to create specific, gorgeous worlds and unique characters, especially when it focuses on the relationship between Pupa and Gianna. The themes that arise during the film are riveting, but it stops short of fully diving into them and their implications. It simultaneously tries to do too much, what with its large cast of characters, and not enough, never developing a point of view that’s as strong as its aesthetics.

Grade: B

The Big Picture

Not all the storylines in I Told You So are equally engaging, with the dynamic between Gianna and Pupa being the most interesting and fleshed-out. While the film raises interesting concepts, such as everyone having a vice and the theme of motherhood, it struggles to fully explore and answer them. The visuals in I Told You So are consistently stunning, with a pastel color palette that adds to the heightened and slightly surreal feel of the film.

I Told You So had its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.