Cloro is an Italian film focused on Jenny, a teenage girl who must move from her idyllic beachfront town to a small, isolated cabin in the frigid north of Italy with her depressed father and younger brother after her mother passes away. Now Jenny must be the woman of the household, leaving school to work as a hotel maid and taking on all the household chores while her father lies stoically on the couch. But all Jenny cares about is getting back to her old life, most of all her synchronized swimming team before they go to their big competition.
The film is a stark look at a teenage girl forced to grow up when she should be enjoying the last vestiges of childhood. Instead of swim meets and hanging out with friends and boys, Jenny must somehow find a way to provide for her family, care for her father and brother, and still have a life of her own. At first, she refuses to believe their new life is anything but temporary and sneaks into the hotel's pool to practice her synchronized swimming routine. When the older maintenance man discovers her, she starts sleeping with him partially to keep practicing and partially out of boredom. She constantly struggles against her innate teenage selfishness and the responsibilities of being the head of household.
Overall, Cloro is nothing new or interesting. While the visuals and color scheme of the film are often engrossing, the story of the film is lacking. Perhaps it is the young actors. With not a lot of dialogue, the actors often fail to convey all they need to in their looks. The film trudges along with its protagonist and at the end I felt unmoved by Jenny's story. While the landscapes are beautiful and the story can be heart wrenching, the acting fails to convey the immediacy of these emotions. In doing so, Cloro fails to be absorbing or exciting.
