It only takes a single moment or one ill-timed decision to change the course of one’s entire life, which is a concept that we should all be familiar with, either through firsthand experience or by proxy, since we all inevitably hear stories of people whose entire future was changed (whether for better or worse) in a very short period, usually at the expense of some unexpected event that could not have been predicted. This subject is explored beautifully by Paolo Virzi, whose adaptation of Human Capital (Italian: Il capitale umano), based on the novel by Stephen Amidon, centres on this idea, moving the story from suburban America to the beautiful landscapes of the Italian countryside, and focusing on the lives of a group of characters in the aftermath of a tragic accident in which a stranger is killed, and which has a ripple effect not only on the perpetrator but everyone around them, whether directly or through mere association. A compelling, deeply complex drama that goes in search of the deeper meaning underpinning the human condition, this film is quite an achievement, helmed beautifully by a director who doesn’t receive nearly as much credit as he perhaps deserves as one of Italy’s most interesting filmmakers, Human Capital is an exceptional achievement in terms of both form and content, presenting us with a labyrinthine story of loss and recovery, taking us on a journey down a treacherous path, during which time we encounter many sinister and unsettling secrets about society and how there are always aspects of our culture hidden from public view and the chaos that emerges once these secrets are revealed, which makes the reasons why they were hidden away so abundantly clear. Peculiar but captivating, this film is quite remarkable, especially in how it handles a dense novel, taking it in unexpected directions while never becoming unwieldy or unnecessarily convoluted.

Human Capital is not a film that makes its intentions entirely clear from the start, but we can easily tell from quite early that this is not going to be a conventional work, nor will it be looking at subjects in a way that is by any means traditional. Instead, it is going in pursuit of something much deeper, focusing on the intricate and unspoken details of social structure that are usually never given much attention, since they are part of the cultural machinery, and rarely bear much relevance as subjects of their own. This is a film based around its characters, and we are gradually introduced to this cast of players in the form of four chapters, three of which are dedicated to individual characters, while the final one is used to tie all their storylines together and give the resolution we need to understand the message behind the film. What is most impressive about all of these aspects and how they work in tandem comes in the psychological foundation on which the director is basing this story. Human Capital sees Virzi challenging social conventions in a way that calls into question the very nature of the human condition, as seen through intense psychological exercises that reveal as much about these individual characters as it does the people they represent. Each character we encounter throughout this film is a figurehead for a certain group of people, and Virzi takes a very creative approach in constructing this film as a large-scale game of humanistic chess, placing different characters against each other, since even the most unnecessary moments of conflict (in terms of plot) have a deeper meaning when it comes to the psychological aspects of this film, and we soon discover that Human Capital is as much about society and its mistreatment of certain groups as it is a profound and deeply provocative excursion into the human mind, which Virzi masterfully pulls apart as the film progresses, exposing some extremely sinister secrets in the process.

The style that Virzi employs in the process of bringing this novel to the screen is extremely intriguing, and makes it one of the more well-directed films of the past decade, especially because it is a work that relies on simplicity more than anything else, elegant directorial decisions that seem straightforward at first, but are shown to be filled with depth and nuance through the process of all the small elements coming together and creating a holistic picture of society. The approach is remarkably simple – the film starts with the accident that is at the heart of the story (although the important information is intentionally elided, such as the perpetrator and whether the victim survives or perishes, so that there is a sense of mystery to the film), and then shifts to different perspectives, focusing on three key characters and a range that exist in the periphery, showing their lives both before and after the incident, whether they attempt to maintain their position in society before the events, or struggling to remain sane in the aftermath. Virzi directs this film with an immense dedication to the material, which is mostly focused on the idea that we are all connected in various ways – our lives are interwoven in ways that we can’t even comprehend, which leads to unexpected events and occurrences that challenge our perception of reality, and our place within it. Far from a work of abstraction, and instead one that is heavily steeped in social realism in quite surprising ways, Human Capital is an extraordinary achievement in how it takes on these bold ideas, especially since it does so through very direct means. This film repeats many of the same events, albeit showing them from different perspectives in each case, which is done to add further context and additional meaning. What we initially believe to be random interludes without any substance at the start are revealed to be pivotal moments in the plot, and our experience is one where we are consistently unearthing the secrets that sit beneath the surface of this story, with the shocking revelations and challenging ideas making for profoundly entertaining and compelling cinema.

Considering how much Human Capital depends on its characters to push the plot forward, it is only logical that the entire film would be defined by the performances, which is why some of Italy’s most interesting actors were cast in the various roles that make up this film. The three primary characters are played by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Matilde Gioli, and are supported by the likes of Guglielmo Pinelli, Fabrizio Gifuni, Valeria Golino and Giovanni Anzaldo, all of which are exceptionally important and make invaluable contributions to the plot, even when their time on screen is slightly limited. Bruni Tedeschi gives objectively the best performance in the film, which is not surprising considering she has been a darling of the European arthouse for a quarter of a century, turning in performances that are complex, enthralling and deeply human, and her work in this film is some of her most empathetic, especially in how the character requires her to find a depth that underpins the tragedy that surrounds her family, and in the process she learns about herself in surprising ways, which in turn leads to something of an existential crisis. Bentivoglio navigates the narrow boundary between comedy and drama in his role as the sycophantic real estate broker who desperately tries to fashion himself as a shrewd businessman, all to establish himself as a member of the high society, while playing his daughter, and perhaps the most logical character in the film, but also the one whose story has the most tragedy, being the key to the final resolution of the central mystery. The rest of the cast weaves in and out of the film, appearing when it is necessary but not lingering when they aren’t serving a purpose, essentially existing to supplement the exploration of the main characters’ psychological states, which are increasingly fragile and intimidating the more we see them navigate the various challenges they face, especially in the circumstances surrounding the incident that catalyzes the events of the film. 

Human Capital is a masterful voyage into the minds of a group of people who seem relatively conventional, especially since they represent a wide-ranging depiction of society, each one being indicative of a different rung on the proverbial social ladder. We watch in suspense as they interact, discovering new secrets about one another, as well as coming to terms with their own identities, which are shown to be quite complex as more information about their past comes to light, especially in the aftermath of a small but tragic accident that plunges them all into a state of existential despair. Virzi’s direction is precise and hard-hitting, and he creates a story that is extremely meaningful and undeniably provocative, which forms the foundation for a film that takes us on a poignant and harrowing journey into the heart of society, exposing some of its darker secrets while still maintaining an admirable level of humanity, which propels this entire story forward and makes it so beautifully poetic and unquestionably compelling. There are many reasons to appreciate this film for its unflinching honesty and incredible attention to detail, but it is perhaps its fascinating approach to exploring the psychology of the class system that makes Human Capital so intimidating but brilliant. Earnest, captivating and well-constructed, this is a truly tremendous film, and certainly one of the more effective examinations of the human condition in recent years, all condensed into a singular depiction of how we are all connected in various ways, and that even the most inconsequential of events or minor of interactions can have a long-lasting impact on our lives.