There could hardly be a nastier protagonist than Giacomo Rizzo's self-loathing, and loathsome, character in this pessimistic film about a world governed by greed.
He is an ugly, middle-aged loan shark who services his often desperate clients with soft words and a greasy smile while making sure with masked threats that they pay up on time.
He might be named Geremia Heart-of-Gold, but he hasn't a heart at all. He lives with his invalid mother (Clara Bindi) in a damp dungeon-like apartment and collects his money for storage rather than spending.
Then one day he meets Laura Chiatti, the attractive daughter of the poverty-sticken Saveria (Gigi Angelillo). She wants a loan to pay for her wedding and is prepared to give him her body to secure a decent rate. Who defeats whom, and at what cost?
Director Paolo Sorrentino - who also made Consequences of Love, an intricate study of a lone escapee from the Mafia - presents us with a frozen, almost surreal world where no one has the chance to be happy, least of all the loan shark.
The Family Friend is beautifully shot but has little else attractive about it, though Rizzo's astonishing performance in the lead makes it worth watching.
The Family Friend
