Very nice movie! And I'm speaking from someone who usually doesn't like the genre and 8/10 hates the italian way of acting, sometimes very poor. From the intro with an amazing aerial view of Milan by night with a perfect, thrilling soundtrack, the plot unfolds in very clever way. I liked the flashback part, not exaggerated, just helpful to understand the story. The acting is pretty good, the rythm is perfect. The sound editing play the lion's share here: the music is truly remarkable, really "pulp", perfectly timed. This film for me was a huge surprise. You won't regret the choice. To be seen!
14 Reviews
Favino was right!
pablo_nardez18 March 2023
I saw his interview and he recommended to watch it because it is a good movie...and he was right!
Good picture, rythm and characters. Enjoyable couple of hours of entertainment.
I liked the way the movie starts with the initial scene with only music. Milan by night looks gorgeous and fascinating in this film. A kind of Gotham City with an italian cop instead of batman.
Funny dialogues in some scenes with strong southern italian accent. Direct and powerful screenplay with some interesting flashes back and forward.
Franco, the protagonist, is a credible character and his trip to hell and back keeps you stuck to the screen.
Good picture, rythm and characters. Enjoyable couple of hours of entertainment.
I liked the way the movie starts with the initial scene with only music. Milan by night looks gorgeous and fascinating in this film. A kind of Gotham City with an italian cop instead of batman.
Funny dialogues in some scenes with strong southern italian accent. Direct and powerful screenplay with some interesting flashes back and forward.
Franco, the protagonist, is a credible character and his trip to hell and back keeps you stuck to the screen.
PLEASE DON'T ABORT PREMATURELY AND STAY TUNED, THIS FILM HAS A PLAN
xnicofingerx10 November 2023
A wonderful opening sequence with stylistically typical writing and score - is this the return of the Poliziottesco? No, the hopeful nostalgics quickly hit the ground of reality, obviously that of our time. No tough 70s cop, a leading actor who, in my impression, initially embodies more of a RomCom prototype, for example. A deliberate break in style? In his role, he is semi-corrupt, disillusioned, tired of everyday life, battered, on the verge of becoming a "loser". So after a leisurely and not very meaningful 3/4 hour, i.e. A rather long span, I was ready to set my expectations back to zero for the sake of fairness, let's see what else happens, and suddenly the plot really picks up speed. The dynamics in the middle section are great cinema, the exciting follow-up in the episode no less thrilling. The makers' plan probably worked for me, hats off, a wonderful film with a great script.
Disappointed
jordverburg22 August 2023
I was kind of disappointed. Overall it was an okay movie, but not great. The opening credits with the amazing soundtrack was really promosing (loved that song: Fate Tiptoes to a Party). However, I was pretty bored after an hour. The story didn't have any interesting turns. This story missed something to keep my attention. The movie could've been thirty minutes shorter as well. It felt like a crime drama that has been done numerous times before.
The acting, music and camerawork were great. The writing could have been better. Maybe my expectations were a little high after reading al the loving reviews.
The acting, music and camerawork were great. The writing could have been better. Maybe my expectations were a little high after reading al the loving reviews.
Italian cinema is on FIRE!...
davide-massa13 March 2023
Long time since I enjoyed a thriller/police story so much, especially at the cinema.
No CG, no big explosions, just extraordinary screenplay and acting performance. Fantastic the double-shooting of the flashback scenes, while the whole plot is re-constructed piece by piece.
I hope that only sub-titles will be added for the Sicilian and Calabrese dialogues, they are essential to create the "urban jungle" clash, as much as the chinese dialogues are kept in the original audio.
Favino fills the screen without saying a word for half his scenes, you squirm and suffer with him the whole time: yet another masterpiece from him.
A must watch.
No CG, no big explosions, just extraordinary screenplay and acting performance. Fantastic the double-shooting of the flashback scenes, while the whole plot is re-constructed piece by piece.
I hope that only sub-titles will be added for the Sicilian and Calabrese dialogues, they are essential to create the "urban jungle" clash, as much as the chinese dialogues are kept in the original audio.
Favino fills the screen without saying a word for half his scenes, you squirm and suffer with him the whole time: yet another masterpiece from him.
A must watch.
Lost potential and opportunity
peter-blazek12 November 2023
A great story, but unfortunately poorly turned into a movie. The story has great potential but the script is quite cheap.
I like watching non-American movies, especially thrillers, so I started watching this movie with great anticipation. The scenes were so-so for the first few minutes and it almost put me off continuing to watch. It was only later in the film that it became clear why.
There are quite a few holes in the story that could have been shown much better, with more authenticity and more realistically shown. For example, when we see dozens of fellow cops at the crime scene, and the main protagonist is brought a glass of water by a forensics officer who has left the scene (would a forensics officer really leave a crime scene and bring water to someone who is hidden behind other people??) .
Too bad for a lost opportunity.
I like watching non-American movies, especially thrillers, so I started watching this movie with great anticipation. The scenes were so-so for the first few minutes and it almost put me off continuing to watch. It was only later in the film that it became clear why.
There are quite a few holes in the story that could have been shown much better, with more authenticity and more realistically shown. For example, when we see dozens of fellow cops at the crime scene, and the main protagonist is brought a glass of water by a forensics officer who has left the scene (would a forensics officer really leave a crime scene and bring water to someone who is hidden behind other people??) .
Too bad for a lost opportunity.
Amazing surprise!
simoneroda23 March 2023
Even if I'm Italian, I usually don't like italian thrillers so much. Well, this one is very, very different. It makes you feel you're inside the movie the whole time, even if there are not so many extraordinary special effects or chase scenes. You can feel from the very beginning it has a wonderful screenplay, great direction and excellent soundtrack.
Almost all actors (Favino and Caridi on top) are really amazing in their characters! I only wish some of them had used a less pronounced southern accent, or at least to have the subtitles, because some of the clips (fortunately not too many) are really hard to follow if you are not from Calabria or Sicily.
Almost all actors (Favino and Caridi on top) are really amazing in their characters! I only wish some of them had used a less pronounced southern accent, or at least to have the subtitles, because some of the clips (fortunately not too many) are really hard to follow if you are not from Calabria or Sicily.
Exceptional giallo!
Ladiloque26 June 2023
Mesmerizing opening with an aerial night view of Milano and the trademark giallo soundtrack which reminded me of Morricone: it must be in my top 50... maybe even higher.
Not an absolutely perfectly designed noir/police drama: I felt like I missed something that wasn't completely clear despite my efforts.
Also some scenes and parts of the screenplay were a little weak partly due to the attempt of creating authentic main characters - which is a rarity in today's marketing designed productions - partly for reasons I can't pinpoint but involve both the writer/director and the actors.
Yet it's been more than a year since I've watched something as compelling in the genre (which I'm a great fan of - as you can see from my list of over 1000 watched productions - and about which I'm starting to become hardly satisfiable).
Great music, maybe a little too dark and dramatic compared to the script, but that's nitpicking.
Photography as well tries to mimic the '70s style of giallos with its simple camera work and original lights/colors - though maybe indulging a bit too much with Milano postcards.
So if you love well designed and executed crime stories, you have to add it to your list.
The only unforgivable negative is the audio: 2/10. Better use subtitles in a language you know, because not even a mother tongue can get more than 95% of what is said in the original italian version. The most understandable italian is spoken by one asian character...
It's an 8, which means a 10 in the world of IMDB.
Not an absolutely perfectly designed noir/police drama: I felt like I missed something that wasn't completely clear despite my efforts.
Also some scenes and parts of the screenplay were a little weak partly due to the attempt of creating authentic main characters - which is a rarity in today's marketing designed productions - partly for reasons I can't pinpoint but involve both the writer/director and the actors.
Yet it's been more than a year since I've watched something as compelling in the genre (which I'm a great fan of - as you can see from my list of over 1000 watched productions - and about which I'm starting to become hardly satisfiable).
Great music, maybe a little too dark and dramatic compared to the script, but that's nitpicking.
Photography as well tries to mimic the '70s style of giallos with its simple camera work and original lights/colors - though maybe indulging a bit too much with Milano postcards.
So if you love well designed and executed crime stories, you have to add it to your list.
The only unforgivable negative is the audio: 2/10. Better use subtitles in a language you know, because not even a mother tongue can get more than 95% of what is said in the original italian version. The most understandable italian is spoken by one asian character...
It's an 8, which means a 10 in the world of IMDB.
Happy that high quality italian movies still exist
herea-345485 November 2023
One of the beat italian movies of the decade!!!
The movie stars slow and a little bit awkward..you will not understand much because you are being projected in a reality that involves a lot of details and people that usually don't come togheter and for manny minutes is all without sense and no direction but at one point the things take a verry serios turn and evrething changes..it became a verry stressful anxious and you can feel the tension in the air...then you have the aftermath and o after that omg what an ending...beautiful movie that I cannot wait to rewatch honestly because yes it is that good..amazing job from all the actors especially the leading role the star Pierfrancesco Favino wich is always amazing but in a movie like these...the best !
This movie should receive more recognition because there aren't a many movies like this nowadays...
The movie stars slow and a little bit awkward..you will not understand much because you are being projected in a reality that involves a lot of details and people that usually don't come togheter and for manny minutes is all without sense and no direction but at one point the things take a verry serios turn and evrething changes..it became a verry stressful anxious and you can feel the tension in the air...then you have the aftermath and o after that omg what an ending...beautiful movie that I cannot wait to rewatch honestly because yes it is that good..amazing job from all the actors especially the leading role the star Pierfrancesco Favino wich is always amazing but in a movie like these...the best !
This movie should receive more recognition because there aren't a many movies like this nowadays...
A missed opportunity
ale_fil10 April 2023
The subject is certainly interesting but with a few more weeks of writing work certain scenes could have been better prepared and the screenplay could enrich some parts which instead are only sketched both in the vices and in the characterization of the pardons. Not all of the plot is plausible for a film that instead would like to be extremely realistic. The use of a non-Italian but southern Italian language makes a large part of the film incomprehensible. The acting is believable and the atmosphere is good. The music sometimes seems out of place and too loud in the mix. Overall it can be described as a good film.
A modern Italian view of the changing society and the 24 hours in a life.
riecken-464-2115423 September 2023
It has Favino one it - he is one of the best actor in the Italian "panorama." (Landscape) - a man that is capable to incarnate a character deeply on its (his) soul.
But main actors are good in their characters: the wife, Ramiro and Dino.
It is a relatively good story where soundtrack brings tension up and down.
Has bad boy from both sides. Which is reality of life.
One note: is Franco that gets Dino involved. This is not not a spoiler as the press release says the otherway around.
Is a well curated scenes and narrative. Well worth watching.
There a metropolitan Milan seen from different points of view. Inclusive a 29th floor penthouse (wow! Which bldg is this?)
But main actors are good in their characters: the wife, Ramiro and Dino.
It is a relatively good story where soundtrack brings tension up and down.
Has bad boy from both sides. Which is reality of life.
One note: is Franco that gets Dino involved. This is not not a spoiler as the press release says the otherway around.
Is a well curated scenes and narrative. Well worth watching.
There a metropolitan Milan seen from different points of view. Inclusive a 29th floor penthouse (wow! Which bldg is this?)
Is it a polizziotesco or a giallo?
searchanddestroy-131 December 2023
For me, it's neither, not a polizziotesco from the seventies nor a giallo either; and I have seen tons of them during my moviegoer life. It's simply a new kind of cinema: brilliant, intelligent, sensitive, a bit too complex and sophisticated for my empty brain. Very hard to follow because of a splendid editing. Powerful acting too, outstanding atmosphere, production design. You could find this kind of film from Spain or even Argentina, not only Italy. It is dark, bleak, but, I repeat, not very easy to understand nor explain in details. Anyway, it's a movie that it's also impossible to forget. I hope the director will continue after this one.
an Italian movie about the Chinese mafia
dromasca7 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
'Last Night of Amore' (2023 - original title 'L'ultima notte di Amore') is the title of a very good Italian 'noir' thriller, written and directed by Andrea Di Stefano. It's the actor-turned-director's first feature film made in Italy, but it comes after two films made in the United States, and this shows in the way it looks and is designed. It could very well be an American film. 'Last Night of Amore' begins with a scene that takes us at night over Milan, splendidly filmed, probably from a drone. From here until the final scene, however, the city plays no role in the film. The story could take place over several hours of the night in any major metropolis of the world. Italian cinema has an excellent tradition of political, social criticism films and Mafia films, but police corruption and the infiltration of the international mob into the life of big cities have long been a world-wide phenomena. In this case we can say that we are dealing with an Italian film about the Chinese Mafia. A good one.
The last night in the title is the night before the retirement of Franco Amore, a policeman with 35 years of service, during which he only managed to reach the post of deputy chief of a city police station. Perhaps his reputation is to blame: his integrity and the fact that in all these years he has never once used the weapon in his possession. Good reputation does not necessarily bring promotion. With a salary of 1,800 euros per month, Amore does not refuse to supplement his income by doing some private guarding or security jobs. He puts some pretty strict conditions though - the guarded shipments must not contain stolen goods and the protected persons must not be wanted gangsters and they should not carry firearms. Such activities are on the edge of legality. When Franco agrees to work with the Chinese mafia for the first time and the first activity for them takes place on his last day as an active policeman, he knows he is taking a risk, but he cannot resist the temptation. Things will get complicated and the last night will be completely different than planned.
'Last Night of Amore' is well written and professionally shot. The action has rhythm, the story has logic and they captivate the viewers' attention. The main role is played by Pierfrancesco Favino who succeeds a powerful and nuanced creation. His well-acted turmoil and hesitation add psychological thriller value to the story. However, the atmosphere is film noir, perhaps due to the fact that the entire story takes place at night. Linda Caridi, an actress that I didn't know, fits in very well as the wife, a character with a key role in the story. The only aspect that seemed to me to be superficially addressed is the schematic way in which the Chinese gangsters are presented. The penetration of the Chinese mafia in Italy and other places in the world is a widespread and worrying phenomenon, and this film would have been an opportunity to go deeper into the problem and build more interesting and compelling characters. This opportunity was missed. However, the film has enough other qualities that recommend it to be watched by thrillers fans and not only by them.
The last night in the title is the night before the retirement of Franco Amore, a policeman with 35 years of service, during which he only managed to reach the post of deputy chief of a city police station. Perhaps his reputation is to blame: his integrity and the fact that in all these years he has never once used the weapon in his possession. Good reputation does not necessarily bring promotion. With a salary of 1,800 euros per month, Amore does not refuse to supplement his income by doing some private guarding or security jobs. He puts some pretty strict conditions though - the guarded shipments must not contain stolen goods and the protected persons must not be wanted gangsters and they should not carry firearms. Such activities are on the edge of legality. When Franco agrees to work with the Chinese mafia for the first time and the first activity for them takes place on his last day as an active policeman, he knows he is taking a risk, but he cannot resist the temptation. Things will get complicated and the last night will be completely different than planned.
'Last Night of Amore' is well written and professionally shot. The action has rhythm, the story has logic and they captivate the viewers' attention. The main role is played by Pierfrancesco Favino who succeeds a powerful and nuanced creation. His well-acted turmoil and hesitation add psychological thriller value to the story. However, the atmosphere is film noir, perhaps due to the fact that the entire story takes place at night. Linda Caridi, an actress that I didn't know, fits in very well as the wife, a character with a key role in the story. The only aspect that seemed to me to be superficially addressed is the schematic way in which the Chinese gangsters are presented. The penetration of the Chinese mafia in Italy and other places in the world is a widespread and worrying phenomenon, and this film would have been an opportunity to go deeper into the problem and build more interesting and compelling characters. This opportunity was missed. However, the film has enough other qualities that recommend it to be watched by thrillers fans and not only by them.
Illogical, Lenghty, stupid. Avoid!
simplecreature75-608-5416314 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
We have the story of a cop, that is on the last day of his job. During duty he saves a triad bosses life and gets offered a job in his security service. A Job he simply doesn't DARE to refuse and here is where it starts - If you safe a mans life and he calls you his hero, you're not oblidged to do ANYTHING.
Then there is his wife. A cops wife. Not having any Intuition AT ALL, which is very unusual für woman anyhow, as they sense danger miles away, while us men sometimes tend to wonder what her problem might be, but a cops wife??? Seriously? A Triad boss offers your man a job and you be like: oh thats a nice man...you are retiring and now we could spend more time together, BUT you really should take this job, as this is the job opportunity you been waiting all you life for.
When he later picks up a mule to drive her to the destination safely, this person is acting like she's routined and has done this many times already. The same person then totally loses it all over sudden and endangers the whole operation. While they get attacked in the tunnel and there is a big shoutout, passengers drive by, not calling the police, all the time in the world passes for him to alter the crime scene. He wipes the steering weel clean for prints, then taps all over the door and frame without covering his hands. Then sets the car on fire in front of a dozen whitnesses driving by... Then he throws the cargo, WHICH HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON, onto a bridge. Not knowing where it lands and whats on top of that bridge, the sack could burst, diamonds all over the place, someone else might find it first and so on.
I could get more into details about what else doesnt make sense, as this movie is riddled with holes, but what really takes the cake is the end, where he just explaines to a triad boss in front of his whole Crew, that he is going to keep the diamonds now which are worth a couple mill, just because he could use the money and thinks he deserves it. Triad boss didnt respect his rules and thats the punishment he has to live with. Punishment from a guy, that is not even a cop anymore at this point and holds NO LEVERAGE...(Whut!?)
This flick is soulless, unfunny, illogic and plain stupid. Hard to describe for me without going into details. Sorry for spoilers.
Then there is his wife. A cops wife. Not having any Intuition AT ALL, which is very unusual für woman anyhow, as they sense danger miles away, while us men sometimes tend to wonder what her problem might be, but a cops wife??? Seriously? A Triad boss offers your man a job and you be like: oh thats a nice man...you are retiring and now we could spend more time together, BUT you really should take this job, as this is the job opportunity you been waiting all you life for.
When he later picks up a mule to drive her to the destination safely, this person is acting like she's routined and has done this many times already. The same person then totally loses it all over sudden and endangers the whole operation. While they get attacked in the tunnel and there is a big shoutout, passengers drive by, not calling the police, all the time in the world passes for him to alter the crime scene. He wipes the steering weel clean for prints, then taps all over the door and frame without covering his hands. Then sets the car on fire in front of a dozen whitnesses driving by... Then he throws the cargo, WHICH HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON, onto a bridge. Not knowing where it lands and whats on top of that bridge, the sack could burst, diamonds all over the place, someone else might find it first and so on.
I could get more into details about what else doesnt make sense, as this movie is riddled with holes, but what really takes the cake is the end, where he just explaines to a triad boss in front of his whole Crew, that he is going to keep the diamonds now which are worth a couple mill, just because he could use the money and thinks he deserves it. Triad boss didnt respect his rules and thats the punishment he has to live with. Punishment from a guy, that is not even a cop anymore at this point and holds NO LEVERAGE...(Whut!?)
This flick is soulless, unfunny, illogic and plain stupid. Hard to describe for me without going into details. Sorry for spoilers.
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