The Last Night of Amore (M)

A smash hit at the Italian box office in 2023, writer/director Andrea Di Stefano stylish new crime thriller stars the always-excellent Pierfrancesco Favino as an honourable Milanese police lieutenant whose spotless record comes undone over the course of a fateful night.

Milan, present-day. After 35-years of service, well-liked policeman Franco Amore is retiring from the force, having never even fired his gun. But on his final night, as his younger and far more worldly second wife Viviana is preparing a surprise celebration for him, Franco’s world is turned upside down. His best friend and colleague, Dino, has been found dead on a highway in the city centre, one of several casualties after an apparent shootout. As he arrives to investigate the perplexing crime scene, it quickly becomes apparent that Franco knows more than he is letting on, and, having crossed a line, may now be in over his head…

Driven by a breathtaking central set piece, Di Stefano’s twisty, suspenseful thriller of principles, trust and family ties spectacularly mixes the fatalism of classic film noir with emotional heft, especially elevated by the dynamite pairing of Favino and Caridi who provide the film with its beating heart. Superbly crafted - with sleek nocturnal cinematography by Guido Michelotti and a smoky, propulsive score – it’s smart, compulsive big screen entertainment.

Cast: Pierfrancesco Favino, Linda Caridi, Antonio Gerardi, Francesco Di Leva, Camilla Semino Favro, Martin Montero Baez, Mao Wen

Director: Andrea Di Stefano

"Tense yet also rather moving, it’s been a while since we’ve seen such a stylish Italian crime thriller" SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

"I was gripped! Such a tight screenplay and the acting is superb. One of those films where things escalate and escalate and escalate, and the pressure piles on. Really entertaining" ABC RADIO

"Enjoyable and satisfying. A stylish crime thriller, with every frame super-saturated and looking absolutely gorgeous" WEST AUSTRALIAN

"A heart pounding race against time. Favino is extraordinary" RAI NEWS

"Inexorably tense. A magnificent and powerful journey to the end of the literal and metaphorical night that will keep you in suspense. Don’t miss it on the big screen!" IL CORRIERE DELLA SERA

"A very compelling, beautiful noir." CULTURA E CULTURE

"Spectacular" CINEUROPA