The Last Night of Amore (2023)

A smash hit at the Italian box office in 2023, writer/director Andrea Di Stefano stylish new crime thriller stars the always-excellent Pierfrancesco Favino (‘The Traitor’, ‘Nostalgia’) as an honourable Milanese police lieutenant whose spotless record comes undone over the course of a fateful night.

Milan, present-day. After 35-years of service, well-liked policeman Franco Amore (Favino) is retiring from the force, having never even fired his gun. But on his final night, as his younger and far more worldly second wife Viviana (Linda Caridi, The Ties) is preparing a surprise celebration for him, Franco’s world is turned upside down. His best friend and colleague, Dino (Francesco Di Leva, Nostalgia), has been found dead on a highway in the city centre, one of several casualties after an apparent shootout. As he arrives to investigate the perplexing crime scene, it quickly becomes apparent that Franco knows more than he is letting on, and, having crossed a line, may now be in over his head…

Driven by a breathtaking central set piece, Di Stefano’s twisty, suspenseful thriller of principles, trust and family ties spectacularly mixes the fatalism of classic film noir with emotional heft, especially elevated by the dynamite pairing of Favino and Caridi who provide the film with its beating heart. Superbly crafted - with sleek nocturnal cinematography by Guido Michelotti and a smoky, propulsive score – it’s smart, compulsive big screen entertainment.