THE LAST NIGHT OF AMORE/ L’ULTIMA NOTTE DI AMORE, Italy, 2023. Starring Pierfrancesco Favino, Linda Caridi, Antonio Gerardi, Francesco Di Leva. Directed by Andrea Di Stefano. 124 minutes. Rated M (Mature themes, violence and coarse language).
A forceful strong police story. The setting is Milan, seen during the initial credits, high above the buildings and night lights, a resounding score, setting up a mood. The focus then transfers to Franco Amore (Favino), 35 years and honourable police officer, his final night on duty, hurrying to an incident in a freeway tunnel, and the death of his partner. Quite a dramatic opening. But, was the title meant to be tantalising with its choice of Amore for Franco’s surname – it does sound like a title for a drama on sexuality and relationships, but no.
Then the action goes back 10 days. It is a complex story – one of duty, of conscience and decisions. For a long time, Favino has been a significant leading man in Italian films. And this performance reinforces his status. He is composing his farewell speech for his colleagues, is in contact with his wife, who loves him but is more than a touch flighty and ambitious. He is called by his wife’s cousin, a jewellery dealer, to help with a wealthy Chinese customer in a health crisis.
Franco has never shot anyone during his 35 years and has a solid reputation. However, financial difficulties are ever present, and officers take on side jobs out of hours. The first part of this drama is a job, Franco with his partner picking up some contacts from China at the airport, matters not quite right, a flat tyre, police confrontation, shootings . . . All very dramatic, especially since the film does not use CGI but the sequences were filmed in an actual Milan tunnel, cars speeding past, danger, tension . . .
The second part of the film is the investigation with Franco confronting the mystery of what has happened, his attempts to find out the truth, betrayals, corruption, covering his own presence, his wife caring for the son of his dead partner, her flighty hopes and fantasies, her wilfulness intruding on the investigation.
While the complications of the action are engrossing, it is the portrait of Franco, his integrity, the financial situation concerning his pension as he finishes his service, discoveries of betrayal, and moral issues that are at the core. The film draws to a dignified ending with Franco confronting those who need to be confronted, but ending his career of duty with a message of appreciation to his colleagues. But, of course, the consequences are still open, the audience left to ponder what decisions they would make.
Palace
Released, Italian Film Festival, then wide release, 19 October