I'd looked forward to this film, but my expectations were deflated not long after a strong, intriguing opening. When a movie dips into magical realism, the phantasmal, even dreams or abstractions, a strong narrative framework is usually needed unless you're the late Luis Bunuel, maybe. While the art direction in 'La Chimera' sustained its quality, the story too often strayed into distracting whimsy, and the 'how come?' of Josh O'Conner's bristly character, an Englishman engaged in tomb robbing for loot in Italy, was all but lost amidst an annoying posse, crowd hoopla, explanatory musical interludes, some quirky camerawork and braying female characters--all of which might have clarified his dilemma, making us care rather than eager for a conclusion. Many great filmmakers very ably used similar devices to advance and enhance their storytelling without losing the plot and the audience. Didn't work here, for the most part. Pity.