L'amico di famiglia

In comparison with other Sorrentino films, The Family Friend is less accessible due not only to its ambiguity of meaning, but also to the fact that a repulsive, usurious troll occupies its centre. Also, it does not help us to decipher the symbols borne by shots that could serves as images in a gallery (human figures take on comparable structural significance as inanimate objects), nor does the director make it easier for us to approach the protagonist, whom I personally perceived with a distant view, similar to that with which we watch horror-movie monsters. Though the inspiration from Scorsese and the aesthetics of commercials and music videos are obvious, this narratively complex film makes more sense as a grotesque horror film about the selling-out and emotional coldness of today’s society than as a cool story from the underworld. Just as Geremia boosts his self-confidence by humiliating those who seemingly cannot hurt him (though in reality they are no less rotten), Sorrentino delights in formally giving greater meeting to scenes in which nothing exceptional happens outwardly (shopping in a supermarket). The deeper essence of unexpected encounters of form and content become apparent only in retrospect, after the initially incomprehensible segments are placed in a broader context. Thanks to the operetta-like performances, the lives of the lowly characters offer commentary on major issues. A Family Friend is an unpleasant film that gives nothing away, works better in whole units than in non-vitally impactful details, and quite blatantly exploits the female body, but it is still purely a film by Paolo Sorrentino, whose distinctive directorial style I must admire despite the (intentional) repulsiveness of the film’s content. 70% (15.08.2018)

The disgustingly slimy loan shark portrayed by the excellent Giacomo Rozzo could have left the audience drowning in unrelenting feelings of disgust at what we humans are capable of. However, his story would have to be made by someone other than Paolo Sorrentino, who proves with virtually every film he makes how content and form can be combined in an extremely charming way. Although the film is teeming with repulsive human characters, thanks to a certain dose of tragicomedy and perfectly mixed music, it doesn't belong to the kind of movies that, after watching them, I'd say I never want to see again. On the contrary, I would gladly return to it to make sure that even the darker sides of human nature can be told with humor and an emphasis on aesthetics. (90%) (11.02.2021)