The Wait

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The Wait

2016

1h 40m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A young woman (Lou de Laâge) waits for the arrival of her boyfriend (Giovanni Anzaldo) in Sicily, but the man's grieving mother (Juliette Binoche) does not tell her that he is dead.

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Jul 7, 2016

3/5

Full of striking images, especially of Catholic rituals and darkened, palatial rooms backlit with despair. But the core concept is kind of stupid.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Jul 1, 2016

3/5

The Wait is a wait, largely for anything to happen, or to clarify or resolve. In the meantime, Messina, himself Sicilian, offers us various forms of beauty and a touch of madness, set in a large, dark, empty Sicilian villa.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Jun 29, 2016

3/5

The consolation for having to sit silently urging him to get on with it lies in watching two fine actresses at work.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 22, 2022

4.5/5

“L’attesa” is a challenge. It requires patience and a willingness to look beyond a mere surface impression.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Mar 8, 2022

3/5

Grief is one of those emotions that does not have a symptomatic timetable or a measured story arc. It seeps and festers on its own time and The Wait moves with similar apathy.

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Andiee Paviour

Nobody's Reading This But Me

Mar 14, 2021

3/5

From its first frame, director Piero Messina's bleak drama is awash with sorrow.

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Sharon K

@RT64280278 Aug 28, 2026

I found The Wait a slow burn and a little too mysterious in its story telling regarding the son’s death, but Juliette Binoche’s acting is hauntingly memorable as is the music. I loved the soundtrack.

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Claudio C

@Claudio666 Nov 20, 2025

L'attesa / The Wait (2015) A Low Paced Sad Story of Grieving (12,075 – 20 Nov 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) The French Jeanne (Lou de Laâge) arrives at Sicily to spend Easter with her boyfriend Giuseppe (Giovanni Anzaldo). The middle-aged servant Pietro (Giorgio Colangeli) drives Feanne from the airport to the villa where Giuseppe’s mother Anna Remigi (Juliette Binoche) lives, and they arrive by the night. Anna is not feeling well and does not welcome Jeanne. On the next morning, she welcomes Jeanne and tells her that she is grieving the loss of her brother. Jeanne spends a few days waiting for Giuseppe and Anna seams to be a weird unstable woman. Until the day Jeanne learns that Giuseppe will not come to see her. "L'attesa", a.k.a. "The Wait" (2015), is a low paced sad short story of grieving. The plot is based of the relationship and feelings of two women, the younger waiting for her beloved boyfriend, and the older grieving her loss. Although certainly expected by the viewer, the secret is only disclosed in the ending. Therefore, is a drama based on the good performances of Juliette Binoche and the beautiful Lou de Laâge and only recommended for specific audiences that enjoy European films. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "A Espera" ("The Wait") My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/

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Sep 23, 2016

The story is minimal, but the imagery - and the hypnotic Binoche - are masterful.

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Jul 5, 2016

a pensive bone-chilling wait, for the truth, and closure... a tad too well-acted by the "strange" mom

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Jul 5, 2016

Binoche delivered a stellar performance of love lost. I would have given another star if they had an equally good soundtrack like a soulful cello solo.

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Jul 1, 2016

So slow it was frustrating and boring. Did the director even watch this shite of a movie?

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Piero Messina

Director

Juliette Binoche

Anna

Lou de Laâge

Jeanne

Giorgio Colangeli

Pietro

Domenico Diele

Giorgio

Antonio Folletto

Paolo

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L'Attesa: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A young woman (Lou de Laâge) waits for the arrival of her boyfriend (Giovanni Anzaldo) in Sicily, but the man's grieving mother (Juliette Binoche) does not tell her that he is dead.

Director: Piero Messina
Producer: Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Carlotta Calori
Screenwriter: Giacomo Bendotti, Ilaria Macchia, Andrea Paolo Massara, Piero Messina
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co: Indigo Films, Medusa Film
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 29, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $52.4K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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