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On this page: A BRIEF AFFAIR | FUORI | KOLN 75

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 19.Apr.26

A Brief Affair Breve Storia d’Amore
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Ludovica Rampoldi
prd Carlotta Calori, Francesca Cima, Nicola Giuliano, Viola Prestieri
with Pilar Fogliati, Adriano Giannini, Valeria Golino, Andrea Carpenzano, Massimo De Lorenzo, Betty Pedrazzi, Monica Nappo, Lorenzo Gioielli, Pia Engleberth, Giselda Volodi, Giulia Maenza, Selene Caramazza
release It 27.Nov.25,
UK Mar.26 cmi
26/Italy Rai 1h38

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Opening amusingly with a chess game that includes a boxing interlude, this Italian comedy takes an offhanded approach to illicit attraction. Writer-director Ludovica Rampoldi playfully explores a fling that slides into a relationship. Then as the comedy becomes increasingly dark, the film builds some rather bonkers tension. But even if it starts feeling silly, it's impossible to look away. And it ends with a series of proper kicks.

After his chess boxing match, Rocco (Giannini) meets Lea (Fogliati) in a cafe, and Lea doesn't let the fact that Rocco is married stop her from kissing him. He doesn't resist, but he also heads straight home to Cecilia (Golino), his wife of 19 years. Meanwhile, everything Lea's sweet husband Andrea (Carpenzano), father of her young daughter, does seems to bug her at the moment. So she finds Rocco, and they tentatively begin an affair. As this continues, Lea begins to behave obsessively, stalking Rocco and Cecilia. And Lea thinks she might be in love.

Observant camerawork catches tiny character details that feed into decisions. This includes Lea's dubious face while watching actor Andrea snog his costar on their TV show, or Rocco witnessing a couple clandestinely meeting at a hotel across from his office. Intriguingly, Lea works as a journalist interviewing women about their lives, fascinated by their indiscretions. A range of witty scenes bristle with darker undercurrents that begin to gurgle up in the final act.

Actors find natural rhythms in their characters to offer glimpses under the surface. Giannini plays Rocco as a man rediscovering how he felt when he was young and carefree. He deals with guilt by convincing himself that what happens in a hotel isn't real. So of course Fogliati's more inquisitive Lea wants to see his home. Her performance cleverly shows that Lea is happy with Andrea, and yet her feelings for Rocco are out of control, hinting that almost anything might happen.

This is a fascinating look at the allure of intimacy with a stranger, even when someone is in a long-term relationship that feels happy and easy. The story's shifting layers continually touch on resonant ideas, even as the plot tightens in on characters in ways that suggest the light-hearted tone could easily flip into a thriller. Some of the things that happen along the way feel a little contrived, leading to a twisty climactic sequence that's thoroughly entertaining and carries a very strong point, even if it's nuts.

themes, language 8.Mar.26

Fuori aka: Outside
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir Mario Martone
scr Mario Martone, Ippolita Di Majo
prd Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Carlotta Calori, Viola Prestieri, Annamaria Morelli
with Valeria Golino, Matilda De Angelis, Elodie, Corrado Fortuna, Antonio Gerardi, Carolina Rosi, Francesco Gheghi, Daphne Scoccia, Francesco Siciliano, Sonia Zhou, Paola Pace, Luisa De Santis
release It 22.May.25,
UK Mar.26 cmi
25/Italy Rai 1h57

CANNES FILM FEST

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Recounting the story of noted Italian actress and author Goliarda Sapienza, hinging on her brief but life-changing stint in prison, this slightly overlong film jumps around in time, which makes it tricky to keep up with. But director Mario Martone grounds each scene in earthy realism, while the superb Valeria Golino delves deeply under this woman's skin. There's nothing remotely simple about this offbeat portrait of an artist.

Emerging into 1980 Rome after a stint in prison for stealing jewellery to survive, 55-year-old Goliarda (Golino) finds it impossible to get a job, and her friends have abandoned her. So she reaches out to her young fellow ex-con Roberta (De Angelis), who is far too unsteady but also irresistible. They also reunite with Barbara (Elodie), another sparky former cellmate. Goliarda can only stand back and watch their intensely emotive conversations about drugs and men. But the three also find common ground that draws them together. And as more inmates are released, their group grows.

For Goliarda, prison is much more honest than society at large, with its expectations and judgmentalism. Flashbacks to her incarceration offer insights into her perspective, as do passages from her insightful writings in voiceover. Goliarda likens her need to write to Roberta's addiction to drugs and criminality. She also recalls the rejection of her life's work, The Art of Joy, the historical novel that was finally self-published by her actor husband Angelo (Fortuna) after her death in 1996, to wide acclaim.

As always, Golino dives deeply into the role, bringing out authentic internal rhythms that reveal Goliarda as a fiercely astute observer of human behaviour. She finds happiness in unexpected realities, and her uninhibited connections with De Angelis' mercurial Roberta and Elodie's buoyant Barbara are complicated and fascinating to watch. All three actors bring textures to the screen, connecting gutsy humour with an honest approach to each challenge that comes along.

This is a fascinating exploration of a middle-aged woman finding more affinity with social outcasts than the well-heeled people society thinks she should be mixing with. In real life, Goliarda struggled to make a living as an artist, leading to suicide attempts and the crime that put her behind bars. So the freedom she feels with these younger women is intoxicating. As is the security she feels with her husband, a younger man who properly gets her. And a lovely clip during the closing credits lets the real Goliarda explain it herself.

themes, language, violence 7.Mar.26

Köln 75 aka: Cologne 75
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Ido Fluk
prd Sol Bondy, Fred Burle
with Mala Emde, John Magaro, Michael Chernus, Shirin Lilly Eissa, Enno Trebs, Leo Meier, Leon Blohm, Ulrich Tukur, Jordis Triebel, Susanne Wolff, Marie-Lou Sellem, Daniel Betts
release Ger 13.Mar.25,
US 17.Oct.25, US 1.May.26
25/Germany 1h52

BERLIN FILM FEST

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There's a charming spark to this German comedy-drama, which bounces to groovy 1970s rhythms as it recounts a wildly entertaining true story. Writer-director Ido Fluk maintains a witty sense of humour even while evoking big emotions and madcap suspense. The story is anchored by a terrifically engaging performance by Mala Emde. And because it chronicles the recording of a legendary album, the artistry and history are riveting.

In 1974 Cologne, 16-year-old Vera Brandes (Emde) launches herself as a music promoter by organising venues for jazz icon Ronnie Scott (Betts) before taking on other musicians. Two years later, she sees Keith Jarrett (Magaro) play and decides that she has to stage a concert for him at the Cologne Opera House. This requires confronting her strict parents (Tukut and Triebel) and getting help from her brother Fritz (Meier), boyfriend Jan (Trebs) and classmates Isa and Oliver (Eissa and Blohm). Meanwhile, American journalist Michael (Chernus) is tagging along with Keith, trying to get an interview.

Colourfully offbeat filmmaking flourishes abound, including the way Michael sometimes narrates scenes directly to the camera. And the story is framed at Vera's 50th birthday party (where she's played by Wolff) as she ponders her legacy, and confronts her father, many years later. Wolff is excellent as always, but this is Emde's film. Her teen Vera is such a force of nature that the film suffers whenever she's off-screen, such as an extended interlude when the narrative oddly opts instead to follow Michael.

At least this allows Magaro to beautifully flesh out his portrayal of Keith as a complex artist who both understands the mythology around him and worries about his deeper identity. Going further than the usual depiction of a tortured artist, this is a powerful performance that continually catches us by surprise, drawing on both humour and emotion. And the surrounding actors get to add plenty of attitude along the way.

Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert is the best-selling piano album in history, and this film painstakingly sticks to the chaotic facts as it pieces together the behind-the-scenes details, combined with wonderfully larger-than-life characters. Vera has clearly been a force to be reckoned with; her inspirational refusal to take no for an answer has led to a long, successful career. So it's only right that she has the last word here, joyfully appearing on-screen with Emde and Wolff. We can't stop smiling either.

themes, language, violence 14.Apr.26

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