(The Perfect Dinner)
ST. ALI Italian Film Festival 2022
At Palace Cinemas 15 Sept to 12 Oct 2022
For dates: www.italianfilmfestival.com.au/films/the-perfect-dinner
2022 | 106 min | Italy | Comedy
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars:****
This review was published only on this blog. KH
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La Cena Perfetta: Salvatore Esposito, Greta Scarano Gianfranco Gallo
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La Cena Perfetta is a delectable romance seasoned with a dash of menacing mafioso and a splash of comedy. It tracks the path of Carmine (Salvatore Esposito) – a member of the Neapolitan Camorra who has too much heart and soul for violence and crime – after his Capo and “uncle”, Pasquale (Gianfranco Gallo), banishes him to Roma to launder Camorra money through a cheap and tacky frozen food restaurant called Picchio Blu (Blue Woodpecker).
When Carmine encounters feisty and attractive Consuelo (Greta Scarano), haute cuisine chef and former owner of the restaurant, he follows his own dream and embarks on a dangerous path to build a Michelin star-worthy restaurant with Consuelo at the helm – but he diverts Pasquale’s money into his project without the Capo’s knowledge or consent. Danger looms!
Deftly directed by Davide Minnella and with a beautifully constructed narrative based on a story by Stefano Sardo, the film immerses the audience in a world of delicious fine dining that leaves the salivary glands craving the taste as well as the sight of Consuelo’s stunning menu.
As Carmine, the mafioso who risks his life to chase his own dream, Esposito is delightfully warm, hopeful, naïve and almost boyish despite his generous proportions. Scarano is passionate, audacious and vulnerable as Consuelo while Gallo finds both menace and gentle nostalgia in Pasquale.
La Cena Perfetta is a charming, elevating and tasty film that transports us into the kitchen of Picchio Blu and the soft heart of a mafioso – and its vision of Napoli and Roma will send you rushing to the travel agent for a flight to Italy.
by Kate Herbert
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