Fausto Brizzi
Notte Prima Degli Esami

At the beginning of 2006, "Notte Prima Degli Esami" was released in Italian cinemas, a film that would enjoy moderate success at the box office.

It is certainly not a masterpiece; it's a very simple, light, entertaining, and ironic comedy. However, we can state with absolute certainty that Italian cinema, especially in recent years, has shown us far worse things. In my opinion, it is a work neither to be demolished nor praised, as I've heard from groups of people who are at odds with each other. It’s a film that, especially at certain moments, can be watched without difficulty.

One can identify with this story, and this is especially true for young people who have recently faced the final high school exam. When I saw it for the first time, my mind wandered back to June 2001, the year in which I obtained my scientific high school diploma. It felt like reliving all those moments, full of tension, anxiety, and question marks hunched over books, busy making this last effort. The period leading up to the exam is one of the most difficult to endure, but afterwards, it usually becomes a source of nostalgia and good memories of moments that will never return.

The direction of this film is entrusted to Fausto Brizzi. He is a debutant, and in the past, he had mainly worked as a screenwriter. He is also a keen observer of the youth world. The story features the stereotypes of typical elements found in almost every class, like the boisterous and bullying "tamarro," the awkward and clumsy nerd who is marginalized and mocked by everyone, and the somewhat snobbish rich daddy’s boy. A point in favor of this film is undoubtedly the performance of the charismatic and versatile protagonist Giorgio Faletti, who delivers an excellent performance. Most of the cast consists of little-known young actors, although for some of them, such as Nicolas Vaporidis and Cristiana Capotondi, this performance marked the beginning of a promising film career. There are also some revivals among the actors, for example, the old comedian Ric. The film's soundtrack and many cultural and social elements openly hark back to the 80s.

The story is set in Rome in June 1989. The student Luca Molinari (Nicolas Vaporidis), on the last day of school, goes to the literature teacher Martinelli (Giorgio Faletti), nicknamed "carogna" (bastard), and tells him what he really thinks of him, showering him with insults and personal offenses. However, he ignores the most important thing, which is that due to an unforeseen event, he will be a member of the internal exam board. Upon learning this, Luca's morale hits rock bottom, and he seeks some comfort with his friends Alice, Max, and Riccardo. After the teacher's car is stolen, Luca does him a favor, and the two begin to bond, and the "carogna," who is actually not as bad as he seems, offers him the opportunity to have some tutoring sessions at his place. The story then focuses both on the not-so-serious preparation for the exam by the kids, given that in 1989 high school graduation was not as serious as it once was, and on the extracurricular lives of the young people, with moments of fun and parties. The protagonists' affairs of the heart are heavily highlighted. Max discovers that he will soon become a father and simultaneously risks being abandoned by his girlfriend and future mother Simona, as he cheated on her repeatedly with her sister. But above all, Luca meets a girl named Claudia (Cristiana Capotondi) at a party and falls madly in love with her. He does everything to track her down, and finally discovers, to his great surprise, that she is the daughter of the hated professor Martinelli! However, this infatuation will not end well. Meanwhile, the final exams approach inexorably. The ending shows Luca's oral exam, who will become a literature teacher, with the "carogna" partly living up to his nickname by asking him another question instead of the one promised during the tutoring sessions.

This film will have a sequel with a partial change of actors in 2007, "Notte Prima Degli Esami- Oggi," rather predictable and disappointing.

In conclusion, I can say that if you plan to watch this film, obviously without excessive expectations, I don't think you will spend the worst hour and a half of your life.