The film is heavily loaded with excellent actors, and includes some quite dramatic scenes; the director's habit of cutting off the action when we have seen enough to get the idea of a scene is a little irritating, but prevents the film from becoming too overpowering. Vanessa Incontrada, who is a well-known actress both in her native Spain and in her adopted home of Italy, manages to capture the confusion felt by her character very well: we feel for her as she is torn between her passionate love for her husband and bafflement at his apparent inability to express his love for her except in sexual frenzy. Giorgio Pasotti plays the husband and shows us his desire to live out his dream of passionate love, even as his pragmatic upbringing makes it impossible for him to do so. Although he betrays the awful dénouement within the first few minutes of the film, the ending nevertheless has the power to surprise us. Those who are hoping for a Woody Allen comedy should be warned, however, that they will not be filled with joy and optimism when the film comes to an end!
Review of Quale amore
