Released in 2021 by Salani, Maker of tears it’s a novel for teenagers written by Erin Doompseudonym of an Italian writer known only by her first name: Matilda.
Openly aimed at teenagers, the novel was released in 2020 as a self-publishing by the author but, given the great success, Salani warehouses proposed and obtained the purchase of the rights. It seems to have sold something like 450,000 copies, becoming a true literary phenomenon among children.
From the April 4 on Netflix the film version of the story arrives, set in the United States like the book but produced in Italy, by Colorado Film, directed by Alessandro Genovesi (10 days without a mother, 7 women a mystery) and the two strictly Italian protagonists.
The plot of Maker of Tears
Nica (Caterina Ferioli, a model making her debut as an actress) becomes orphaned following an accident and is sent to the Grave, the institute called this by its guests: an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Margaret. Even she, however, has a weak point: the orphaned child she named herself Rigel (Simone Baldasseroni, former student of the Amici television school as a rapper with the name of Biondo). Rigel plays the piano divinely, gets along with everyone except Nica. And when, years after her arrival, the almost seventeen-year-old Nica is chosen by a couple to adopt her, thanks to his talent as a pianist, Rigel is also chosen by the same family.
But the relationship between Rigel and Nica is difficult, hostile, until we discover the reason for Rigel’s hostility, convinced by Miss Margaret that he is a monster…
A love story for teenagers
Maker of tears does not betray the spirit of the novel from which it is taken: it is aimed at a very specific audience, that of teenagers. For this reason it contains exactly all the narrative passages expected from a story created and adapted for a specific targetwith the merit of representing an Italian production set in the USA but which returns a international flavour also in staging, soundtrack included. The direction is very classic, inspired by the great children’s productions of the past, and therefore functional and not strictly linked to the stereotypes of local productions. The two young performers are surprisingly credible, which can be said a bit about the entire cast. Evidently Genovesi is capable of direct the actors as a film requires, which is rather rare with unseasoned Italian actors: the tendency is always theatrical, exaggerated, or – on the contrary – excessively subdued. As if to look natural you had to choose one or the other option. The cast moves instead harmoniously, with the exception ofMargaret’s interpreter (director Sabrina Paravicini), who he forces his hand too much right from her first appearance on stage as the evil stepmother of the situation. All in all, however, the film flows smoothly, despite the lack of some parts that would have been very useful for the narrative. All the sequences set in an orphanage which return as flashes in the boys’ present would certainly have been more functional if included in the part relating to Nica and Rigel’s stay in the orphanage. They seem a bit thrown there, just to justify the behavior of the two boys and pierce the veil on the secrets of the institute, without however really succeeding.
The effects are also excellent, when needed. Rather the beginning is unlikely but having not read the novel I don’t know if it is faithful. The fact is that the moment could also have been made more realistic. The screenplay is signed by the director himself with Eleonora Fiorini (Light of your eyes). And it would be interesting to understand if the confusion relating to the figure of the tear maker it comes from the novel. Because it’s in the film, and it’s quite bizarre given that it gives the story its title. As described to us by Nica’s voice at the beginning she seems like a positive figure, then she is given a negative meaning (by Rigel) and finally the positive aspect returns. The ideas are a bit confusing, like many secondary events and the superficiality in the psychology of the supporting characters.
The famous TikToker is also in the cast Nicky Passarella, also making her acting debut, in the role of Billie, the first girl Nica meets at her new school. Among the young performers and newcomers in the cast, the one with the most experience is Alessandro Bedettiwho plays Lionel, one of the school boys interested in Nica.
