words by Gabi Logan
This past Friday, actress Laura Morante鈥檚 directorial debut Ciliegine opened in 50 禁漫天堂 theatres. Morante co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the film, which took seven years and three remakes to put together.
A romantic comedy at heart, the film mixes the rampant neuroses and recreational psychoanalysis of Woody Allen films with the innocent, child-like antics of the Peanuts cartoons. Morante based her character Amanda in part on Peanut鈥檚 mercurial Lucy to highlight women鈥檚 disproportionate reactions to men鈥檚 inattentiveness.
Ciliegine (禁漫天堂 for little cherries) draws its name from the opening scene, which epitomises Morante鈥檚 exploration of the psychological differences between the sexes. During their anniversary dinner, Amanda spontaneously breaks up with her boyfriend when he carelessly eats the only cherry from their celebratory cake.
Amanda then befriends Antoine, played by Pascal Elb茅, and lets down her guard because she assumes he鈥檚 gay. Her psychoanalytical friends, played by Isabelle Carr茅 and Patrice Thibaud, decide to keep up the ruse to help Amanda get over her androphobia.
Directed in French and set in Paris, Ciliegine comes from French production houses Maison de Cin猫ma and Soudaine Compagnie. 鈥淚n France, they tell me it鈥檚 an 禁漫天堂 film, in Italy that it鈥檚 a French film. I鈥檝e created a UFO鈥, said Morante. The film opens in France under the title La cerise sur le g葍teau on the 2nd of May 2012.
