THE GETAWAY OF LOVE/ L’ESIGENZA DI UNIRMI OGNI VOLTA CON TE

Italy, 2015, 85 minutes, Colour.
Marco Bocci, Claudia Gerini, Marc Duret.
Directed by Tonono Zangardi.

The English title of this Italian film is rather slight even if accurate. The Italian title is far more complex.

Basically, this is a story of falling in love, obsession, betrayal and some consequent violence.

The central character is a woman, 10 years married, who works at the checkout at a supermarket, who is threatened in a robbery, but is helped by one of the local police who has kept an eye on her anticipating the robbery but attracted to her, and then encountering her, beginning a relationship, while remembering the betrayal by his wife and his own brother.

The woman confesses to her husband who is angry, threatens her, whom she stabs with a knife.

The latter part of the film is the behaviour of the two, not going to the police, deciding to leave the country, the woman changing her mind, troubled by what she has done, the couple experiencing roadblocks – and a finale where the woman goes with her hands raised. The rest is for the audience to ponder.

1. A slice of life, relationships, obsessions, betrayals, violence, resolution?

2. The Italian title and its implications? The English title and its simplicity?

3. The opening, the couple, driving through the field? The flashbacks to two months earlier?

4. The introduction to the wife, in the supermarket, the attentions of Leonardo, chatting with him, his return visits? Her life at home, 10 years marriage, her relationship with her husband? His going on travels?

5. The introduction to Leonardo, police, memories of being a boy and being called a cop, his brother, his wife and his brother’s betrayal, the possibility of forgiveness, going to his father’s grave in order to forgive his brother? On the watch, patrols, his fellow-officer and the discussions about sex? The fact that they were on the lookout for thieves? His interest in the woman, the return, chat, the attraction? Her being held up, with the gun, saving her, saying it was a fake gun? Her fainting?

6. The encounters and the relationship, Leonardo sitting outside, Jogging, the encounter, the kiss? The absence of a husband? Together, the sexual encounters, the consequences? The effect on each?

7. The return of the husband, confession, his anger, sense of betrayal, violence towards his wife, her getting the knife, killing her husband?

8. With Leonardo, the possibility of going to the police, the double desperation, wanting to escape, travelling, her change of heart, the roadblock, driving through? Leonardo desperate? The woman and her getting out of the car, raising her hands, going to the police?

9. Leaving the audience wondering what would happen to each of the characters, the woman and her self-defence? Leonardo and his behaviour in taking her away?