‘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.