Ferzan Ozpetek
Un Giorno Perfetto

24 hours. What can possibly happen in 24 hours? Nothing and everything, is the answer. Often they pass slowly, in a mundane and damnably too similar way to the previous 24 hours; other times, however, the succession of events overwhelms us, it hits us without giving us the strength and possibility to react. It can happen that fate, with its tragic irony, turns our lives upside down like a stormy sea: in cases like these, 24 hours are really too few.

The protagonists' life would seem apparently normal, similar to that of many people. Antonio (Valerio Mastandrea) is the cold bodyguard of a deputy, separated from Emma due to his irascible and violent character; Emma (Isabella Ferrari), the ex-wife, is forced to juggle a thousand precarious jobs just to ensure a decent future for her own children, Kevin and Valentina. The honorable Fioravanti, for whom Antonio works, is a deputy obsessed with image and power, so much so that he neglects his children and his sweet companion Maya (Nicole Grimaudo).

The plot offers us a kaleidoscope of characters, so different that they seem incompatible, yet at the same time closely intertwined by a common denominator: that germ, that malaise of living that torments their lives: Emma has lost all hope, fired, tired and tormented by that ex-husband so intrusive, but of whom she still feels like she belongs; The honorable Fioravanti instead feels a great void inside, the loneliness and the feeling of being hated by everyone, including his children. And then there is Antonio, who cannot forget his wife, the thought of whom obsesses him to madness, generating in him a mixed feeling of love and hatred....

In just 24 hours, those that make up the "perfect day" (an ironic expression to indicate those days when from the moment you wake up everything seems to go wrong), the lives of these people will be overwhelmed, they will brush against each other, intertwine, in a chain of events in which tragedy always seems to be just around the corner.

This is a complex film, the latest by Ferzan Ozpetek. A harsh film, at times claustrophobic, certainly far removed from the atmospheres he has accustomed us to, full of hope and optimism for the future and for others. For the first time, he brings to the screens a non-original screenplay, but instead adapted from the beautiful novel by Melania Mazzucco, of which the film is quite a faithful adaptation (except for a few characters), but readapted according to the style (such as the choice to give a strongly choral tone to the films, for example) of the Italian-Turkish director. It is a film particular even from a technical standpoint: given the extreme scarcity of events that characterize the plot, "a perfect day" relies entirely on the gazes of the protagonists: long, silent close-ups, movements of eyes and eyelids more eloquent than dozens of lines; it is the narration of a sentimental relationship so complex and intense as to verge on madness, obsession, in an emotional crescendo that leads to the tragic ending; "tragic" precisely because faithful in some respects to the canons of Greek tragedy.

A simply exceptional cast: a confirmation of skill for Valerio Mastandrea, here in a state of grace in a role balanced between sweetness and madness. Perfect Ferrari in the role of a destroyed, neglected, humble, and somewhat "doomed" woman. Good performances also by Sandrelli, Valerio Binasco, Monica Guerritore, but Grimaudo's acting is a bit cold. Also noteworthy are cameos by Serra Yilmaz and Angela Finocchiaro. The soundtrack is also compelling, with Tonino Guerra gifting us a passionate and nostalgic tango. The direction and photography are also of fine craftsmanship (with the depiction of a slightly unsettling nocturnal Rome), although occasionally suffering from excessive breaks between sequences with high emotional content (such as the highly impactful rape scene) and slow, reflective sequences, which at times lack homogeneity.

In conclusion, a beautiful film: tragic, moving, imbued with raw realism and strong relevance. Not the best in the director's filmography due to some technical weaknesses, but certainly a very good effort.

"Because I don't want to forget... I don't want a new life. The only thing I want is to be with you again..."