“The Invisible Thread,” a Netflix original, is an Italian romantic comedy about a gay couple who must decide whether the kid they have is legally theirs, while their relationship is in disarray. The rules in Italy are not very conducive for the LGBTQA community. Simone and Paolo have to fight a battle just to get recognized as the legal guardian of their son, Leone.
This film is set in a city in Italy and offers a unique perspective on what a gay relationship is like when a child is involved. It discusses essential topics about how relationships can flip around unexpectedly when we least expect it. “The Invisible Thread” elicits genuine feelings of love, betrayal, forgiveness, and what it means to be a parent in a confused and non-accepting society when relationships and parenthood are intended to be modern.
Relationships, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are never easy. When two bodies collide and can no longer support themselves in any form, then one of them seeks nourishment elsewhere. It’s in our nature. When there is an emotional component to it, betrayal occurs. The intensity of emotions makes us biased towards Paolo, who discovers from texts on Simone’s phone that he had betrayed him.
Leone is Paolo and Simone’s firstborn son. Paolo is a prosperous architect who enjoys wearing fancy clothing, and Leone is his and Simone’s surrogate son. Tilly is the surrogate mother, who entrusts Leone’s safety and security to Paolo and Simone. Both parents own and operate a restaurant together. Paolo maintains his architecture firm, which serves as his main workplace. Leone, who is still in school, is working on a film about LGBTQ rights in Italy, with his parents as the subject matter, to educate his school audience about what it’s like to have homosexual parents.
When Paolo discovers that his boyfriend is cheating on him, he goes to his sister to talk about it. He tries but is unable to make sense of it. His sister advises him to cope with the problem calmly because she has firsthand experience with it. Paolo begins his adventure as a single parent in his head, but now he must figure out how to hold Paolo accountable for his acts. To make his film look realistic, Leone needs to include a twist. He is completely unaware of the truth that is slowly revealing itself.
The anniversary of Paolo and Simone is approaching quickly, and Paolo is becoming increasingly irritated in the days leading up to the anniversary. Tilly calls on the anniversary and informs them that she has sent gifts for all three of them. Paolo controls his emotions, but the other two are mostly perplexed by the gifts, and Tilly forewarns of a second surprise. Anne, Leone’s high school acquaintance, is invited to supper during the celebration. Dario, Leone’s brother, also shows up with a hidden agenda that Leone is unaware of. At the dinner, Simone is surprised by his other boyfriend Riccardo, who wants an explanation for why Simone is leaving their relationship since Paolo feigned to be Simone and texted him back.
When Paolo is in the kitchen with his sister, he catches Riccardo kissing Simone in the backyard and is ready to hit Simone in the head. Paolo’s sister immediately calms him down and tells him to return to the table as if nothing had happened. When Simone returns, though, Paolo becomes enraged and demands an explanation. The entire family learns about it. Anna, too. Everyone, especially Leone, is disgusted. Paolo demands an explanation after returning Simone’s phone after he had hidden it. Simone remains honest about the current scenario and decides to leave Paolo. The doorbell rings, and everyone assumes it’s Riccardo at the door. With some difficulty, Leone manages to answer the door. It’s Tilly and Leroy, her lover. Leone sobs and collapses on her shoulder.
As the story progresses, Simone and Paolo continue to argue about what they can and can’t keep as part of their legal settlement. Because their separation is looming, Leone must come to terms with the idea of the two of them living apart. Meanwhile, Leone is debating how to tell Anna that he likes her. When Anna and her brother Dario go on a modest rock climbing excursion with Leone, they meet in a suitable place for a climb. Dario is swift on the rocks, and he gets to the summit quickly. Leone pursues him and, after some difficulty, makes it to the top, where he sits next to Dario.
Dario kisses Leone after confessing his affection for him. Leone is taken aback and sits shocked, but assures Dario that he is not gay. Dario feels humiliated, and Leone inquires of Anna as to what she means by acting in this manner of bringing Dario when he wished it was only the two of them. Anna apologizes to Leone and informs him that she is still assisting her brother with his sexual orientation.
As “The Invisible Thread” progresses, the lawyer informs the couple that the child’s birth certificate cannot have two male names on it. This forces them to figure out who Leone’s biological father is. Both fathers are compelled to do something against Leone’s wishes to find out who the real father is for the law, and the finding of the same leads to a whole new twist in the plot.
Marco Simon Puccioni, the director and writer, effectively depicts a gay relationship fighting its fights as any other couple would, when things are tumultuous. “The Invisible Thread” is a heartbreaking display of how hard things can get when there are multiple factors and sexual identities at play.
The sense of the language used by writer Gianluca Bernadini brilliantly captures each character’s animated reaction to the events in their lives in a genuine manner. It combines genuine feeling with an innovative liberal sense of sexual humor that tickles our senses to no end. As events unfold, each character emits a great feeling of warmth, and we can easily relate to them as flawed human beings, just like any of us.
“The Invisible Thread” is a must-see for people of all ages because we need to not only accept them as people but also better grasp how their diversity in relationships may benefit us. Future generations are advancing at a breakneck pace, and we must do everything we can to keep up.
“The Invisible Thread” is a 2022 Italian Drama Comedy film directed by Marco Simon Puccioni.
