Amanda
classified 15 SPlease note: This was screened in June 2023
Writer-director Carolina Cavalli’s darkly comic feature debut, which received its world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, is a deliciously satirical character study of a twenty-something looking for purpose… and maybe also a friend.
Amanda (Benedetta Porcaroli) has returned home to Italy after a few years studying in Paris. It’s her first summer back and it’s clear the long weeks ahead of her are devoid of any plans. She has no friends (the housekeeper is her closest thing to a confidante), doesn’t get along with her family and generally doesn’t seem to fit in. Her mother reminds her of a friend’s daughter whom Amanda was close with as a child. And so, with little else to do and no one to entertain her, Amanda decides to seek her out.
Cavalli’s offbeat humour complements the film’s vibrant visual style and accentuates its peculiarity. Everything here is a little off-kilter, much like the Greek Weird Wave films of Lanthimos and peers. It is this singular perspective that makes this oddball film so compelling.