Il Ragazzo dai Pantaloni Rosa – REVIEW – Italian Film Festival 2025 ***** (5)

 FILM 

(The Boy with Pink Pants)

Directed by Margherita Ferri, Written by Roberto Proia

2024, 114 min, Drama 

 At Italian Film Festival 2025, Palace Cinemas, 19 Sept to 16 Oct 2025

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Star Rating: ★★★★★   (5/5)

This film review is published only on this blog.

Samuele Carrino, image supplied

 
From its opening moments, The Boy with Pink Pants grips us by the heart. We see a baby born in Rome, then hear the haunting adult voice of Andrea Spezzacatena (Samuele Carrino) whisper, “I would have been…”. That unfinished phrase tells us something must go terribly wrong.

Director Margherita Ferri, working from Roberto Proia’s screenplay based on Teresa Manes’ memoir, shapes a story that is both intimate and devastating. She draws us first into Andrea’s early years—captured in images full of warmth and play—where a bright, sensitive boy thrives in the embrace of his loving parents. That joy, however, makes the inevitable collapse all the more unbearable.

The turning point comes when Andrea dares to wear pink jeans to school. What begins as childish teasing spirals into brutal, public bullying—both face to face and online—driven by homophobia and adolescent cruelty. The abuse escalates until Andrea is cornered, silenced, and finally destroyed at just 15. Ferri never exploits this pain for drama. Instead, she frames Andrea’s torment in sharp contrast with the fierce love of his family, making his death feel like an unthinkable annihilation.

Samuele Carrino gives a luminous and heartbreaking performance as Andrea, balancing intelligence, sweetness, and unbearable vulnerability. Claudia Pandolfi is radiant as Teresa Manes, a mother whose warmth and faith cannot shield her child from the cruelty of others. Corrado Fortuna, as Andrea’s father, provides a tender, grounded presence, while Sara Ciocca lends resilience as Andrea’s loyal friend. Andrea Arru is chillingly effective as Cristian—handsome, magnetic, but cruel—reminding us that beauty and goodness are not the same.

Ferri directs with sensitivity and urgency, never letting the story slide into sentimentality. She shows us the slow erosion of a young life, while insisting that audiences face the consequences of bullying and unchecked online hatred. The film is unflinching, but it is also a call to action.

This is not an easy film. It is painful, gut-wrenching, and tragic, but it is also profoundly important. The Boy with Pink Pants is more than heartbreaking cinema—it is a warning. Ignore it, and more children will die.

By Kate Herbert

Directed by Margherita Ferri
Written by Roberto Proia

Cast:
- Samuele Carrino as Andrea Spezzacatena
- Claudia Pandolfi as Teresa Manes
- Sara Ciocca as Sara
- Corrado Fortuna as Tommaso Spezzacatena
- Andrea Arru as Christian Todi
- Pietro Serpi as Daniele Spezzacatena
- Barbara Bovoli as Ostetrica
- Settimo Palazzo as Prof. Gioli

FUORI – REVIEW – Italian Film Festival, 2025 **1/2

FILM 

Directed by Mario Martone

At Italian Film Festival 2025, Palace Cinemas, 19 Sept to 16 Oct 2025

2025, 115 min, Drama, Biography, Italian with English subtitles 

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Star Rating: ★★½ (2.5/5)

This film review is published only on this blog.

 L-R: Matilda De Angelis & Valeria Golino

Fuori, a 2025 biographical drama directed and co-written by Mario Martone, revisits Rome in 1980 through the lens of Goliarda Sapienza’s semi-autobiographical 1983 novel L’università di Rebibbia. This adaptation casts Valeria Golino as Sapienza, with Matilda De Angelis as Roberta and Elodie as Barbara, in a story that intertwines personal struggle, feminist awakening, and the claustrophobic atmosphere of Italy in the wake of political unrest.

 

The film unfolds largely within the oppressive walls of Rebibbia prison, where Sapienza serves five days, and expands to the wider cityscape of Rome, its streets teeming with social tension and cultural change. Through her encounters with fellow inmates and outsiders alike, Sapienza’s inner conflicts — her political ideals, her need for creative freedom, and her fraught relationships — are brought to the surface.

 

While the film is ambitious, it stumbles narratively. Despite Golino’s nuanced performance as Sapienza, the script leaves her inner life curiously underdeveloped. Roberta and Barbara feel more like fragments of Sapienza’s psyche than fully realised characters. The political and feminist dimensions, so integral to Sapienza’s real story, appear in flashes but lack sustained dramatic weight. Instead, Martone leans heavily on atmosphere — extended silences, moody compositions, and abstract symbolism — which, while occasionally striking, too often stall the momentum.

 

Visually, Martone and his team render 1980 Rome with sombre authenticity. The cinematography lingers on stark prison interiors, dilapidated suburban districts, and the muted light of an unsettled city. The soundtrack, blending period pop with stark silences, underscores the disorientation of confinement and the yearning for freedom. These elements succeed in anchoring the film in its time and place, immersing the viewer in an Italy still wrestling with turbulence.

 

There are moments of resonance: a hushed exchange between Sapienza and Roberta beneath the watchful gaze of prison guards, or Barbara’s wordless breakdown in a stark communal cell. These scenes hint at the film’s potential for raw emotional impact. But overall, Fuori feels diffuse, more concerned with evoking Sapienza’s milieu than fully embodying her voice.

 

As a cinematic portrait, Fuori is admirable in scope but uneven in execution. It may satisfy viewers drawn to Martone’s painterly aesthetic and to Golino’s gravitas, but it struggles to translate the urgency and vitality of Sapienza’s novel to the screen.

 

By Kate Herbert

 

 

Cast

•       Valeria Golino – Goliarda Sapienza

•       Matilda De Angelis – Roberta

•       Elodie – Barbara

Creative Team

•       Director: Mario Martone

•       Screenplay: Mario Martone

•       Based on: L’università di Rebibbia (1983) by Goliarda Sapienza

 

 

KATE HERBERT 3MBS SAT 16 Aug 2025

In this review spot on Sat 16 Aug, I discuss Bloomshed’s Pride and Prejudice and In the Heights, musical by Lin Manuel Miranda. Nick Tolhurst talks about Dial M for. Murder at Theatreworks.

KATE HERBERT 3MBS SAT 02 AUGUST 2025

https://youtu.be/fEK4fTsCTpI 

In this review spot on 2 Aug 2025, I discuss Bell Shakespeare’s Coriolanus by William Shakespeare with Nick Tolhurst. 

I mention some other interpretations of this character such as David Oyelowo (NTHome), Ralph Fiennes (BBC film 2011)  and Steven Berkoff.

(I posted the wrong file for this date 2 weeks ago.)

 

Pride and Prejudice REVIEW 6 Aug 2025 ***1/2

 THEATRE

Created by Bloomshed, adapted from Jane Austen

At  Darebin Arts Centre until 10 Aug 2025

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:  ***1/2 (3.5)

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 16 Aug 2025. KH

Bloomshed's Pride and Prejudice_Darebin Arts Speakeasy_Syd Brisbane, Laura Aldous, Anna Louey, Elizabeth Brennan and Lauren Swain_photographer Sarah Walker

Even if you’re a die-hard Jane Austen fan—or perhaps especially if you are—Bloomshed’s irreverent, chaotic adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will absolutely tickle your taste buds.

Don’t expect a classical take à la the iconic BBC version starring the unforgettable Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. This production swings wildly from parody to political satire, then back to pantomime—often within a single scene.

 

Staged atop a giant, circular platform decorated like a lavish wedding cake—complete with flourishes, rosettes, and even an oversized dessert fork—this version is anything but subtle.

Yes, the familiar faces are all there: the five Bennet daughters, their frantic mother, and long-suffering father, along with the usual romantic misadventures and obsession with marriage. But that’s where most of the resemblance ends.

 

Emily Carr plays Mrs Bennet as a manic, loud, and hilariously profane schemer desperate to marry off her daughters. Meanwhile, Mr Bennet is quite literally a potted plant—wilted, silent, and barely clinging to life. It’s absurd and oddly perfect.

 

James Jackson’s Darcy is pompous, socially inept, and impeccably buttoned-up, while James Malcher's Bingley bounces around like a clueless golden retriever. Laura Aldous doubles up brilliantly as the supercilious, hee-hawing Caroline Bingley and the outrageously flirtatious Lydia. Elizabeth Brennan shines as Lizzie—the sharp, proud heroine—and Anna Louey is charmingly sweet as Jane. Lauren Swain’s Mary is a goth obsessed with rifles, and poor Kitty (Syd Brisbane) remains mostly unnoticed... but that’s another story.

 

The performances are grotesque, exaggerated, and delightfully comedic. Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Malcher) is an over-the-top panto dame, while her daughter, Anne (Louey), appears as nothing more than a talking skull. No kidding.

 

The play’s modern lens draws sharp attention to enduring themes: romance, marriage, property, and the role of women as chattels needing a dowry to be “worthy.”

Highlights include wildly inventive choreography—an explosive mash-up of period dance and funky, sassy contemporary moves.

 

However, not everything hits the mark. Some moments drag, like the prolonged awkwardness at Lady de Bourgh’s tea party, and the final scene where Darcy and Lizzie break the fourth wall to question whether romantic hope is a lie. It's clever but feels unnecessary as an ending to an otherwise anarchic production.

 

Still, one thing’s for certain: you'll never look at Colin Firth—or Pride and Prejudice—the same way again.

 

By Kate Herbert

---

Cast:

• Elizabeth Bennet: Elizabeth Brennan
• Mr Darcy: James Jackson
• Mrs Bennet / Georgiana Darcy: Emily Carr
• Jane Bennet / Anne de Bourgh: Anna Louey
• Mary Bennet / Mr Wickham: Lauren Swain
• Kitty Bennet / Mr Collins: Syd Brisbane
• Lydia Bennet / Caroline Bingley: Laura Aldous
• Mr Bingley / Lady Catherine de Bourgh: James Malcher
• Mr Bennet: monstera plant

 

In the Heights - COMMENT ON FIRST HALF ONLY- 7 Aug 2025

COMMENT based on first half only.

MUSICAL THEATRE

Music by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s, book by Quiara Aegría Hudes 

At Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, until 6 Sept 2025

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: NA 

NB: This is only a COMMENT, not a review of the production. My comments are based on only the first half that I was to attend on 7 Aug 2025. This comment is published only on this blog. I discussed the show with Nick Tolhurst on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 16 Aug 2025. KH

Ensemble, In The Heights_Melbourne

 

 

 

 

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, with book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, bursts onto the Melbourne stage with vibrant Latin beats, rap-infused energy, a swirl of salsa hips, streetwise swagger, and an exuberant celebration of Latin American community life in the New York neighbourhood of Washington Heights. 

 

First staged in 2008, the show fuses Latin rhythms, R & B, and the rapid-fire rap style that Miranda would later refine in Hamilton. This Melbourne production is a feast of movement and music, its sassy, saucy choreography that fuses salsa, hip hop, and street dance into an irresistible whirlwind. But the musical has an uneven narrative construction. 

 

The story unfolds over three days during a sweltering summer. Usnavi (Ryan Gonzalez), a young bodega owner, dreams of returning to his parents’ homeland, the Dominican Republic. Around him, neighbours and friends struggle with love, ambition, identity, and the pressures of rising rents. Nina (Maria Gonzalez), the pride of the barrio, comes home unexpectedly after dropping out of Stanford. Benny (Ngali Shaw), the only non-Latino in the community, is in love with Nina, while Vanessa (Olivia Vasquez) yearns to escape to an apartment downtown. A winning lottery ticket, a sudden blackout, and the death of the beloved matriarch, Abuela Claudia (Lena Cruz), all push the characters towards moments of truth and change.

 

Most of the cast are of Spanish-speaking backgrounds which lends authenticity to the New York Latino culture in the story. Olivia Vasquez delivers Vanessa’s yearning with conviction, her fine musical theatre voice soaring in her solo moments and adding a poignant layer. Maria Gonzalez’s Nina is quietly affecting, her emotional conflict sensitively played, particularly in her scenes with Shaw. Ngali Shaw is charismatic and warm as Benny, bringing sincerity and charm to the role without overplaying it. There are other strong performances, but (from my viewing of the first half of the production only) the vocal technique of some other cast is limited.

 

This production’s choreography is a high point — sensual, flirtatious, and joyously precise — marrying Latin dance styles with street dance in a way that gives the ensemble’s work infectious energy. Much of the music is irresistible: salsa beats collide with merengue, bolero, and freestyle rap, showcasing Miranda’s knack for layering musical styles to reflect cultural identity. 

 

However, the uneven storyline is less satisfying (in the first half, at least). With its shifting focus and multiple subplots, it lacks a strong central figure to anchor the emotional arc. Usnavi’s narration ties the vignettes loosely together, but the piece still feels more like a series of interconnected sketches than a driving narrative.

 

The first half of this In the Heights delivers a vibrant street party of sound and movement. Yet beneath the kinetic dazzle, the script’s structural weaknesses and diffuse focus hold it back.

 

NB: My comments are based on only the first half that I attended on 7 Aug 2025.

 

By Kate Herbert

 

Cast

• Usnavi De La Vega: Ryan González
• Vanessa: Olivia Vásquez
• Nina Rosario: Mariah Gonzalez
• Benny: Ngali Shaw
• Sonny: Steve Costi
• Abuela Claudia: Lena CruzTo
• Daniela: Vanessa Menjivar
• Carla: Tamara Foglia Castañeda
• Kevin Rosario: Alexander Palacio
• Camila Rosario: Angela Rosero
• Piragua Guy: Richard Valdez
• Graffiti Pete: Dayton Tavares
• Ensemble & Swings: Asmara Soekotjo, Jemma Gonzalez, Trevor Santos, Malena Searles, Mario Acosta-Cevallos, Jerome Javier, Selina Salgadoe

Creative Team

• Director: Luke Joslin
• Choreographer: Amy Campbell
• Music Director: Zara Stanton
• Music Supervisor: Victoria Falconer
• Associate Choreographer: Sela Vai
• Resident Director / Company Manager: William Centurion
• Lighting Designer: Jasmine Rizk
• Costume Designer: Keerthi Subramanyam
• Tour Producer: Madeleine Gandhi
• Production Manager: Alex Duffy
• Sound Designer: David Tonion

 

 

KATE HERBERT Arts Weekly 3MBS SAT 2 AUG 2025

In this radio review spot on Sat 2 Aug, I discuss Bell Shakespeare’s Coriolanus by William Shakespeare with Nick Tolhurst. 

I mention some other interpretations of this character, such as David Oyelowo (NTHome), Ralph Fiennes (BBC film 2011) and Steven Berkoff. 

KATE

Click link: 

ArtsWeeklySat2Aug2025

Coriolanus REVIEW 25 July 2025 ***

THEATRE

Written by William Shakespeare, by Bell Shakespeare

At  Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, until 10 Aug 2025

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: *** (3)

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 2 Aug 2025. KH

Coriolanus:  L-R-Peter Carroll, Hazem Shammas & (back only) image supplied

Bell Shakespeare’s 2025 production of Coriolanus, directed by Artistic Director Peter Evans, takes on one of Shakespeare’s least performed and most challenging tragedies.

 

 Coriolanus is a hard sell having no subplots, little humour, and a protagonist who is more despised than admired and lacks the nuances or inner struggles that are evident in other Shakespearean tragic lead characters. This production—while visually clean and competently staged—struggles to find the emotional depth and political ferocity the play demands.

 

Hazem Shammas, following his role as Macbeth for Bell, returns as the battle-hardened Roman general Caius Martius, later dubbed Coriolanus after his conquest of the Volscian city of Corioli. Shammas brings simmering resentment and disdain to the role, particularly in scenes with the Roman Plebeians he is expected to represent in the Senate. However, his portrayal leans more toward petulance than commanding gravitas. Coriolanus's volatile pride is present, but his inner conflict and ultimate undoing never fully ignite.

 

Brigid Zengeni as Volumnia, Coriolanus’s overbearing and militaristic mother, gives one of the more emotionally resonant performances, though the pivotal scene in which she convinces her son not to attack Rome lacks the devastating power it should carry. The moment feels rushed, and Coriolanus’s change of heart too abrupt to be believable.

 

Peter Carroll is the standout as Menenius, the canny and silver-tongued patrician who attempts to mediate between the elite and the citizenry. Carroll’s rambling delivery masks a strategic political mind, and he brings both levity and weight to an otherwise stark production.

 

Evans’s direction opts for symbolism over spectacle. Battle scenes are suggested rather than staged, with Shammas’ being ritualistically blood-smeared rather than bloodied in combat. This minimalist approach is at odds with the play’s militaristic core. The Plebeians—presented here more like scattered student protesters than desperate, disenfranchised citizens—lack cohesion and menace.

 

While the production attempts to frame the play’s themes of populism, elitism, and pride for a contemporary audience, it never fully coheres. Compared to Steven Berkoff’s intensely physical performance in 1996 (UK) , Ralph Fiennes' simmering, dangerous interpretation (BBC 2014), or David Oyelowo’s charismatic Coriolanus at the National Theatre (2024), this version feels muted and uneven.

 

by Kate Herbert

 

 CAST
Coriolanus – Hazem Shammas

Volumnia – Brigid Zengeni

Menenius – Peter Carroll

Aufidius – Anthony Taufa

Sicinius – Matilda Ridgway

Brutus (Tribune) – Marco Chiappi

Virgilia – Suzannah McDonald

Cominius – Gareth Reeves

Citizen 1 / Ensemble – Jules Billington

Titus Larcius / Ensemble – Septimus Caton

 

CREATIVE TEAM
Director – Peter Evans
Designer – Elizabeth Gadsby
Lighting Designer – Verity Hampson
Composer & Sound Designer – Max Lyandvert
Movement Director – Nigel Poulton
Voice Coach – Jess Chambers
Stage Manager – Amy Northcote