“Confidenza”, the film that Luchetti based on the novel of the same name by Domenico Starnone, is a handbook of bourgeois love
Is bourgeois love just oppression?
This “Confidenza” is a handbook of bourgeois love, which director Daniele Luchetti takes from the novel of the same name (Einaudi, 2019) by Domenico Starnone, with help in the screenplay from our Francesco Piccolo. Pietro Vella (Elio Germano) is the classic progressive literature teacher who in his teaching approach favors human relationships over program themes. He has a favorite student Teresa Quadraro (Federica Rosellini) who excels in scientific subjects but who also follows him on the literary path: and between the two there is a submerged energy that finds no other outlet.
Bourgeois love and lurking destiny
The girl, upon leaving high school, chooses Mathematics, but gets lost working as a waitress. Vella looks for her and puts her back in line by making her graduate and a story is born between the two of her which then ends up due to her choice; but first the two had placed themselves in each other’s hands, forming an unspeakable mutual vital confidence. Vella starts a new life with her mathematics colleague Nadia Labaro (Vittoria Puccini) and follows her passion as a university level program planner, becoming an establishment. Teresa goes to America and becomes one of the most appreciated and internationally relevant researchers.
But destiny is lurking and, thanks to Emma Vella (Pilar Fogliati), daughter of the two professors who gets her father-trainer an honor at the Quirinale, by calling Quadraro herself to give the laudatio, triggers the final redde rationem. The film is suspended between Vella’s imaginary homicidal instincts towards his ex-lover and suicidal instincts towards himself. The ending is a surprise but makes you think of a modern-day Gregor Samsa. Is bourgeois love just oppression?
