Amanda is a rich character study about a determined young woman looking for friendship. Her interior psychological state and external relations to others are highlighted through visual framing and showy editing techniques, as an impressive achievement by first-time filmmaker Carolina Cavalli.

Growing up in a bourgeois household, Amanda is the odd one out, with no aspirations to join her parents or older sister by becoming a pharmacist. Her self-assured independence, from retreating to the tiny apartment of her own to going to raves despite interacting with no one, are somewhat a defense mechanism, believing no one in her orbit wants to spend time with her. Deeply conscious of others’ perception of her, she even declares out loud, “I’m looking for a best friend,” punctuated by the film’s title card over 20 minutes into the movie.

Her mother suggests she visit Rebecca, the daughter of a family friend, who turns out to be even more isolated than Amanda, having locked herself in her room and requiring food be brought to her like an invalid. Amanda, albeit lonely in her own way, sees Rachel’s state and suddenly has influence and power to help coax another girl out of her shell. She latches onto this friendship as a reliable constant and source of comfort she can’t find anywhere else. As well-intentioned as she is, questions arise on whether she’s a positive or negative example for Rebecca; the threat of losing this friendship forces Amanda to re-examine her comfort zones and learn how to face reality.

The nuanced and delicate personification of Amanda, a truly dynamic character, is held brilliantly by Benedetta Porcaroli’s performance, who maintains consistency and believability as a very layered young woman, full of contradictions but assertion. Her portrayal is one of a steady overconfidence, even delusion, putting on a strong defense to handle any rejection that comes her way. Through this conviction, Amanda is above being an object of pity, a victim from her family or from society; she operates on such a wavelength of self-assurance that her aspirations and accomplishments are enough to keep her coasting on.

This balance also has a ceiling, in which Amanda never swings so far as egotistical; her power shifts organically between social settings, fitting into the power dynamics accordingly. As the more outgoing between her and Rebecca, Amanda naturally steers the conversation between the two of them, and finds a sounding board in her elementary school-age niece, but in a room full of strangers grows shy and observant. It’s not a form of domination, but rather how her ease of connection varies through her understanding of social dynamics.

Her rich character is further brought to life through the film editing and camerawork, reinforcing her determination and, often, isolation. The editing is reminiscent of Jean-luc Godard’s Breathless, utilizing the jump cut and staging dialogue scenes with reverse shots of single characters, not sharing the frame. The jump cuts are typically used showing Amanda walking toward, or away from, the camera, visually in the same place and direction but with the background, time of day, and setting shifting, as marches along her ongoing journey. It creates a sense of steady, ongoing determination, with a slight sting of loneliness; in all these times and places, Amanda is going it alone.

Her character is also reinforced visually through the formal camerawork, expressing her sense of stability and control of a situation. Much of the film uses center framing, with the character in the middle of the image creating symmetry, drawing our attention to Amanda as well as creating space on either side: reinforcing her distance from others, reflecting her loneliness. It also adds a sense of formalism and control that breaks in just a few key moments, suddenly shifting to bumpy, handheld camerawork when Amanda loses interior control, such as when she and Rebecca fight and she’s thrust into moments of crisis.

Amanda is a thoughtfully made debut feature, leveraging camerawork and editing to elevate the already-rich story of a lonely, but determined, young woman.

Amanda was a nominee at the 2023 David di Donatello awards. Check out the full nominations list here!