Isabella Ferrari & co in "Arrivederci amore, ciao" [2006 Italy]

Michele Soavi's excellent crime thriller, "Arrivederci amore, ciao" [Eng. Trans: Farewell my Love, Goodbye] is probably the finest modern Italian noir I might've seen. Relentlessly unforgiving, the film takes the viewpoint of what one might consider plain evil - Giorgio - by giving him the soapbox to justify his motives. It is an extreme example of what one could end up becoming as his dream goes sour. When I saw it for the first time, I couldn't get the film out of my mind, and neither the haunting song by Caterina Caselli which offers the film title its name. I was tempted to post this film earlier, but I decided to wait for some time before watching it again, much like a kid holding on to his candy a little while longer before unwrapping it. While the story is pretty straightforward, what makes it special is the excellent casting and screenplay. I was never really a great fan of Alessio Boni - handsome as he is, he could be wooden at times and never convincing enough, but he fits the character like a glove here as a cold, calculating, and merciless individual. Michele Placido is already known to have a gripe with cops, and one couldn't have chosen anyone better to play this menacing and totally corrupt police officer. The direction is fluid, the cinematography stylish, and the editing just right for this type of film, and more importantly the story, deeply affecting. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Storyline:
Giorgio, an exile for fifteen years in South American jungles is wanted back in Italy for terrorism. Missing his home country, he decides to give himself up to authorities provided he gets a lenient sentence, he would in return help rounding up former comrades and testify against them. Thanks to Asst. Commissioner Anedda (Michele Placido), he gets out of prison within two years, and soon finds himself working for a former prison colleague 'Vesuviano' who runs a club cum brothel. But Giorgio is ambitious, and earns for a 'normal' life, with family, kids, financial security, and 'independence'. And he would stop at nothing to reach his goal, even if it means betraying friends, double-crossing colleagues, or murdering people who care about him...






Compilation: Isabella Ferrari, Alina Nedelea, Sueli Odila Ferreira, and others
There may only be brief nudity from the unassuming Isabella Ferrari, but the veteran actress sure has the extra something to bring out the beast in us. The nudity however is taken care of by various uncredited actresses who make up the staff at the 'club'.



Scene Guide:

• Giorgio is shown around the establishment by his ex-prison pal 'Vesuviano' - apparently one of the girls is only seventeen - did Berlusconi ever come visiting by chance..? :)
• The winged black angel sure is a 'knock-out' alright, the beauty is played by Sueli Odila Ferreira - apparently also owner of the most suitable surface from which to sniff coke if you ever wanted to.
• No nudity but sexy - a hitherto disinterested Giorgio at a shoe store suddenly is interested when Flora comes forward to assist. Giorgio after all is there for a reason - to remind Flora that he knows her husband who's running up huge debts at the establishment he manages, with all those prostitutes and drugs he'd been partaking in. Flora the horny MILF is played by Isabella Ferrari.
• Flora reluctantly agrees to 'pacify' Giorgio so he could keep his hands off her husband. When she's reluctant to kiss him in the mouth, Giorgio will have none of it - he wants a full-on wet kiss, apparently just as teenagers do it.
• Reluctant participant Flora has now begun to thoroughly enjoy Giorgio's company as long as it lasts, and so does he...
• It doesn't, as is often the case, but Giorgio has also moved on, among more 'sophisticated' circles, and is now betrothed to the lovely but utterly conventional Roberta. They move together into a new apartment, and when Roberta tries out their new music player, memories come flooding back to Giorgio. There's no nudity in the scene, but what the heck it's nice, and Roberta is played by the even nicer Alina Nedelea.

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