At The Movies: The Last Night of Amore
Franco Amore is putting together his retirement speech. Tonight is the last night in thirty five years of distinguished service in the police force. In his long career, he writes, he’s never shot his gun to kill, and he’s done his best to keep honest. He doesn’t know that this will be the longest and most challenging night of his life and that everything that matters to him will be in danger: his role as a servant of the State, his unconditional love for his wife Viviana, his friendship with his working partner Dino, and his own life. Tonight, in Milan, events will unfold frantically while the light of dawn keeps moving farther.
The Last Night of Amore is a tight taut cop/crime thriller from the director Andrea di Stefano and features sterling performances from Pierfrancesco Favino as the “old school” cop, Franco Amore, and Linda Caridi as his faithful loving wife, Viviana, who has a mafia background. Franco decides to do one “job” outside of his police profession for extra money before he retires. A simple job that naturally goes horribly wrong and the movie follows the repercussions of that decision.
As Director Andrea di Stefano puts it, “The Last Night of Amore is the descent into hell of an honest man, a devoted husband, a reliable friend, and a police officer whose colleagues look up to for his integrity and commitment. Moral shortcuts are not for everyone. Some people can get away with it, but not Franco Amore.”
The opening scene of a camera flying low over the city of Milan, while credits roll, sets the tone nicely for the movie. There is a sense of bleakness and hopelessness right from the start. Favino and Caridi take this movie to heights well beyond the usual police thriller. With many twists and turns, the biggest maybe the ending, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat for the two-hour running time.
The Last Night of Amore should be seen on the big screen, such is the power of the photography and performances. If you only go to the Palace Nove Cinema’s once this year, make it for this movie.
The Last Night of Amore may well be my Movie of the Year.
Movie Review by Geoff Jenke
The Last Night of Amore at Palace Nova Cinema’s from 19 October 2023. Advance screenings 13 – 15 October.