Oscilloscope shared the official trailer for Amanda, the Italian dark comedy film starring Benedetta Porcaroli, Galatea Bellugi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, and Michele Bravi.
Directed by Carolina Cavalli, Amanda world premiered in the Horizons Extra section of the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, then debuted in North America at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival; and opens in theaters with a release date of July 7th in NYC (IFC Center) and LA (Laemmle Royal).
Born into an upper-class family with a doting mother who foots the bill for her indolent lifestyle, 24-year-old combative Amanda (emerging talent Benedetta Porcaroli) searches for boyfriends but only finds misfits who are repelled by her intensity. She longs for connection but has never had a friend of her own… until she discovers a long lost childhood bond, spurring a mission to convince another recluse that they are still best friends. A playful, provocative feature debut from writer-director Carolina Cavalli.
In its review for the film, Deadline wrote, “There’s an aimless quality to the film Amanda that suits its central character, but it does invite more exploration of other characters than it delivers. At its best, it recalls the work of Miranda July or Noah Baumbach — Frances Ha being an obvious comparison — but sometimes it feels willfully quirky for the sake of it, such as when Amanda’s mother Sofia (Monica Nappo) gets up and dances weirdly and awkwardly for no reason. Fans of the directors mentioned should definitely check it out, though, and it’s great to see this genre in Italian cinema. Carolina Cavalli is certainly one to watch.”
Guardian rated the film 4 stars out of 5, writing, “Actor-turned-director Carolina Cavalli makes her feature debut with this elegant, angular contrivance: an absurdist existential comedy about an entitled twentysomething called Amanda (Benedetta Porcaroli, from Netflix’s Baby) who has reached a quarterlife crisis.”
“Amanda is more an imagined figure with the anxiety of Gen Z and also the anomie of 90s Gen X, a character whose dramatic existence is located in the snappy dialogue she exchanges with other alienated characters. Amanda and her story are none the less amusing for being so contrived.”
Watch the official trailer for Amanda.