Article by Greta Maria Sorani

Translation by Linh Carrara

It is impossible not to feel perplexed after seeing AmicheMai (2024) by Maurizio Nichetti, the director, screenwriter and actor best known for his surreal comedy, he returned to directing twenty-three years after his last film Honolulu Baby (2001) with a comedy on the road that sees two protagonists played by Angela Finocchiaro and Serra Yilmaz.

Nichetti applies a peculiar meta-cinematographic narrative expedient, making two content creators tell part of the story, documenting the filming from behind the scenes, in a story that breaks the natural rhythm of the main narrative. In the first part, the story of Anna, a veterinarian who wants to reconnect with her husband, and Aysé, her father’s former caregiver, the two travel from Trieste to Turkey in their yellow pick-up with a particularly bulky bed, this seems to be the backbone of this bittersweet comedy that sees the birth of a deep bond between two very different women. 

The second part, on the other hand, is a clumsy attempt to deal with today’s urgent issues, such as climate change and sea level rise. There are elements that seem to have nothing to do with the main story, whilst these elements denounce the need for the director to speak out about facts that cannot be left indifferent, they take the film to another dimension, not well defined.

The project originated from a concept developed in 2019 at the urging of Angela Finocchiaro, who had already worked with Nichetti in Volere Volare (1991). The idea of representing the reality of the set through the screen of a mobile phone, in such a direct way, creates a discontinuous narrative, not very credible. Both the critical intent and the ironic look are easily understood, but the film stands on the same level as similar works, which deal with social issues in a somewhat superficial way.

AmicheMai, which finally gives the story to two great performers such as Angela Finocchiaro and Serra Yilmaz (too often relegated to secondary roles), does not take the opportunity to build a funny female comedy, getting lost in a series of banalities.