This film is part of Rentals
Amanda
Carolina Cavalli’s darkly comic feature debut follows a young woman who returns to home town to find she doesn't know anyone, so decides to rekindle her friendship with an old agoraphobic childhood friend.
Director: Carolina Cavalli
Overview
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 twentysomething looking for purpose… and maybe also a friend. Amanda (Benedetta Porcaroli) has returned home to Italy and her family 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. Rebecca (Galatéa Belluggi) has not only stayed at home since they were last in contact, her agoraphobia has kept her mostly inside it. The combination of both women’s neuroses only accentuates Amanda’s desire to rekindle the friendship, even if it’s a situation that no one seems likely to profit from.
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.
strong language, sex referencesRelated
The Summer with Carmen The Summer with Carmen
Comedy 2023 106 mins Director: Zacharias Mavroeidis
A seductive and smart gay comedy set on a cruisy Greek island.
Driving Mum Driving Mum
Comedy 2022 113 mins Director: Hilmar Oddsson
Jon drives his mums corpse across Iceland in Hilmar Oddsson’s darkly comic odyssey of self-discovery and acceptance, beautifully filmed in crisp black and white.
The Crime is Mine The Crime is Mine
Thriller 2022 103 mins Director: François Ozon
François Ozon’s witty 1930s farce about a penniless actress who finds fame while on trial for murder, featuring a riotous performance from Isabelle Huppert.
Special People Special People
Comedy 2008 74 mins Director: Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar's pioneering feature comedy about a neurotic filmmaker enlisted to make a film with a class of wheelchair-users.
Timestalker Timestalker
Fantasy 2024 89 mins Director: Alice Lowe
What if unrequited love spanned the centuries? Alice Lowe's time-jumping fantasy rom-com is a colourful, darkly funny treat.
Night Courier (Mandoob) Night Courier (Mandoob)
Comedy 2023 112 mins Director: Ali Kalthami
A desperate delivery driver gets caught up in the dark underworld of Riyadh in Ali Kalthami’s gripping, pitch-black satire.
Triangle of Sadness Triangle of Sadness
Comedy 2022 148 mins Director: Ruben Östlund
Riotously funny with a barbed wire-sharp wit, Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated Triangle of Sadness garnered Ruben Östlund (The Square, Force Majeure) his second Cannes Palme d’Or award.
Living Living
Drama 2020 102 mins Director: Oliver Hermanus
Based on Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru, Academy Award-nominated Bill Nighy stars as a man determined to wake from his slumber and make a mark on the world.
Corsage Corsage
Biopic 2022 114 mins Director: Marie Kreutzer
Sisi the Empress (Vicky Krieps) gets an irreverent make-over in Austrian director Marie Kreutzer’s exhilarating BAFTA-nominated period drama, winner of Best Film at BFI London Film Festival 2022.
The Blue Caftan The Blue Caftan
Drama 2022 123 mins Director: Maryam Touzani
A married tailor falls for his younger apprentice in Maryam Touzani’s richly textured and sweepingly beautiful exploration of love, desire and tradition.
Master Gardener Master Gardener
Drama 2022 111 mins Director: Paul Schrader
Joel Edgerton stars as a meticulous horticulturalist with a dark past, in Paul Schrader’s creeping gritty thriller.
Lie with Me Lie with Me
Drama 2022 98 mins Director: Olivier Peyon
Olivier Peyon’s captivating drama finds an author experiencing powerful emotions as he looks back to his first, youthful love affair.
The Taste of Things The Taste of Things
Drama 2023 135 mins Director: Trân Anh Hûng
Tran Anh Hùng directs Juliette Binoche in this delicious culinary romance that leaves no crumbs. Winner of the best director award at Cannes.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Documentary 2024 107 mins Director: Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck’s sorrowful portrait of Ernest Cole, the first photographer to expose the horrors of apartheid to the world.
Seaside Special Seaside Special
Documentary 2021 93 mins Director: Jens Meurer
Jens Meurer’s bittersweet portrait of Cromer during the Brexit crossroads is also an affectionate homage to British theatrical escapism.
The Summer with Carmen The Summer with Carmen
Comedy 2023 106 mins Director: Zacharias Mavroeidis
A seductive and smart gay comedy set on a cruisy Greek island.
Driving Mum Driving Mum
Comedy 2022 113 mins Director: Hilmar Oddsson
Jon drives his mums corpse across Iceland in Hilmar Oddsson’s darkly comic odyssey of self-discovery and acceptance, beautifully filmed in crisp black and white.
William Tell William Tell
Action and Adventure 2024 133 mins Director: Nick Hamm
A peaceful huntsman is thrust into the heart of the resistance following an Austrian Empire invasion, in this gripping retelling of a timeless legend.
The Crime is Mine The Crime is Mine
Thriller 2022 103 mins Director: François Ozon
François Ozon’s witty 1930s farce about a penniless actress who finds fame while on trial for murder, featuring a riotous performance from Isabelle Huppert.