A moving and heartfelt drama
Andrea Spezzacatene is a bright, talented 14-year-old. Accepted into a new school with a music focus, he is even chosen as part of a choir to sing for The Pope. He becomes good friends with Sara, and he is also befriended by sporty, handsome, Christian on whom he has a bit of a crush. Things gradually start to fall apart for Andrea when he realises Christian is basically using him to improve his otherwise poor grades, and is actually a bit of a bastard. Sara warns Andrea to stay away, but he is still drawn to the enigmatic alpha male. A laundry accident leads to a pair of pink trousers, which Andrea boldly wears to school, leading to more bullying from Christian and his friends. Matters move towards an inevitable and tragic end.
The Boy With Pink Trousers is a true story, based on the memoire of Andrea’s mother, Teresa Manes. Screenwriter Roberto Proia has done an excellent job of adapting this work for the screen, using Andrea’s afterlife voice-over in the style of The Lovely Bones. Director Margherita Ferri has guided her mostly teenaged cast with an expert hand, yet clearly allowing them space to develop their characters and their complex, adolescent, relationships. Young but relatively experienced actor Samuele Carrino has surely broken into the big-time with his exquisitely nuanced performance as Andrea. Actor and model Andrea Arru is perfectly cast as Christian. Sara Ciocca is divine as Sara, delivering a smart, complex, but still insecure, young woman. Finally, the wonderful Claudia Pandolfi embodies Teresa Manes, the grieving mother, who went on to become an anti-bullying advocate.
No prizes for guessing that this film is moving and upsetting. But it is sprinkled with moments of humour and beauty, and the joy of adolescents when they are unfettered and loved. At nearly two hours, it is 30 minutes too long, with many scenes just dragged out longer than they need to be. Ferri was possibly going for a slow-burn feel, but it would have been an even better film with some trimming.
The Boy With Pink Trousers is a lovely piece of filmmaking, and a must-see for young people and their parents.
Take pink tissues.
The Boy With Pink Trousers is currently showing as part of the ST. ALi Italian Film Festival at Palace Nova Eastend and Prospect.
Click here for further information.
Click here for screening times, and to book tickets.
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