Primo Amore (First Love)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Film: C+

 

 

It is always sad when love and relationships go wrong, but Primo Amore (2005) goes from being a potentially interesting film to an almost Horror story about a relationship where the woman (Michelle Cescon as Sonia) has a few too many problems and the screwed up Vitorrio (Vitaliano Trevisan) eventually takes full advantage, or so he thinks.  The problem is the film does not have anything new to say or offer, while director Matteo Garrone’s The Embalmer (reviewed elsewhere on this site) seems to have more territory to go into.  Though sincere, the film ultimately does not have the substance to find new ground and eventually becomes exploitive and boring, intended or not.

 

The acting is good and the film is well shot, has intelligent dialogue and even directed with competence, but it just cannot overcome so many limitations of not going as far as it could have if it was going to pick up the character’s darker natures.  Some would think it did this adequately, but I disagree.  Try The Embalmer first if you have never seen Garrone’s work before.

 

The letterboxed 1.85 X 1 image almost looks like it was shot on some kind of HD almost, but has its moments and once again is handled by cinematographer Marco Onorato.  The color is somewhat desaturated, but not obnoxiously so or as much as The Embalmer.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has Pro Logic surrounds and is again the best feature of the DVD like the other release.   The only extra are some trailers from Strand Releasing.  You can find more about Garrone on The Embalmer as well, and if you like that one, then you will likely want to see this.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo