L'ORA DI PUNTA

Italy, 2007, 95 minutes, Colour.
Fanny Ardant, Michele Lastella, Giulia Bevilacqua, Augusto Zucchi.
Directed by Vincenzo Marra.

L' Ora di Punta is a strong Italian drama about corruption, social, police, and individual.

The film opens with a portrait of a young police officer, played by Michele Lastella. Audience presumption is that he is honest, ambitious, working hard.

However, it very soon emerges that he has potential for corruption and his captain is also in on particular deals.

The film charts the assent, monetary and power terms, of the young man. It also charts at the same time, his descent into moral chaos. He tried to blackmail an industrialist by giving him a false report into how well his factory is doing. The shrewd industrialist kept the two forms of the report in order to safeguard himself should the need arise. And this is what happens. He asks the young man for help, who refuses, and then becomes the target (with his stooping then to kill his assailant).

French actress Fanny Ardant appears as a rich woman who manages her husband's business. She becomes emotionally involved with the young man - who betrays her with his former sweetheart (who herself had rejected him, finds herself still in love with him, finds herself also betrayed for a second time).

The film does not have a resolution, rather it shows all the main protagonists at the state where the film ends, open-ended, but looking it seems to further corruption and the young policeman's downfall.

1.The impact of this film concerning Italian life, morals, government, police, business? A portrait of corporate and individual corruption?

2.The Roman settings, the apartments, the police precincts? Ostia and the building sites? The wealthy homes, hotels? A mixture of Roman society? The musical score?

3.The title, crisis hour, traffic merging, decision-making? Pressures?

4.The introduction to Filippo, watching the shop, his partner on the street? The raid on the Chinese shop, the smuggled goods? The report to Captain Salvi? The praise for Filippo and for Prisko? The antagonism between the two young men?

5.Filippo, at the station, meeting his mother, the meal near the Colosseum, the memory of his father? Police work? His mother lonely in the village? Pride in her son, his studies, achievement, with the finance police? The build-up to Filippo as a decent man? Audience expectations?

6.Filippo overhearing Captain Salvi, the discussions about a mission? His hurrying the report and forcing Prisko? His getting the mission? His going to Donati's warehouse? The factory, the documents? His assistant? His discovering the truth about illegal immigrants, payments, taxes? Confronting Donati? Donati and his offering the bribe? Filippo taking it? Going to Captain Salvi and working in collusion with him? The tacit agreement?

7.Salvi, his authority, corruption? On the take? His knowing that the men under him had been taking money? Filippo trying to defraud him, his being unmasked? But found suitable for the work?

8.The meeting with Caterina, her factory, his being charming to her, forward, seductive? Her following up, the sexual liaison? Her being a widow, her husband ill? Her factory? Filippo and his using her to meet influential people? The reception, her introduction? Senators, bankers? The recommendations? Filippo and his visiting the banker? Getting the loan?

9.The plan, discussing with shady dealers? The building site, the firm going into liquidation, buying it cheaply? Raising the money? His assistant doing the spadework?

10.His relationship with Francesca, going to the shop, watching her? Her rejection of him, her anger at his having had an affair? His explaining himself away? Audience shock at his affair with Caterina? His following through with Francesca, her beginning the relationship again, in love with him? Discovering that he was with Caterina, her making concessions, her not wanting to make the same mistake twice, her asking him to leave Caterina, his failure? Her walking out?

11.The difficulties with the documents? Payments? Owing the bank and their wanting to withhold loans? His discussions with the captain, the captain distancing himself? His growing desperation, his deceiving of Caterina, her being aware of it?

12.Donati, his coming again. having kept the true report as well as the false report? Holding it over Filippo? Filippo and his decision to get rid of Donati, the murder?

13.Filippo, his wealth, high life, the good things in life, the gift of the ring to Francesca, her throwing it away, his giving it to Caterina? His complete hypocrisy? His danger of being brought down?

14.The final images, the captain and his independence, Francesca walking away, Donati and his death, Caterina and her loneliness in the apartment? The final freeze-frame on Filippo and audiences judging what he would do and what would happen to him?