Diciannove *** (2025, Manfredi Marini, Vittoria Planeta, Dana Giuliano, Zackari Delmas, Luca Lazzareschi, Maria Pia Ferlazzo) – Classic Movie Review 13,879

The 2024 semi-autobiographical Italian/ UK coming-of-age drama film Diciannove (Nineteen) stars newcomer Manfredi Marini as a curious, restless 19-year-old student on his path of self-discovery.

The 2024 semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama film Diciannove (translates as Nineteen) is written directed by Giovanni Tortorici in his feature directorial debut, and stars newcomer Manfredi Marini as a restless 19-year-old student on his journey of self-discovery.

Manfredi Marini stars as Leonardo, a 19-year-old student who leaves his hometown of Palermo, Sicily, to study business in London. But Leonardo soon grows restless in London after tensions with his older sister Arianna (Vittoria Planeta) and her roommate Grazia (Dana Giuliano), and he enrols instead at the University of Siena to study literature before dropping out to study classics on his own. He has anti-social tendencies, rebuffing advances from his college friends and having strained relationships with his housemates, but with hints of awakening sexuality, liking the company of girls and the look of a couple of boys. He parties, takes alcohol, a bit too much, but no drugs. He prefers the company of his books. The following year, he travels to Turin where, on the urging of his grandmother, he goes to meet a rich, cultured man (Sergio Benvenuto) who might help him on his journey of self-discovery by challenging him on his ideas.

This odd and quirky, rather elusive but vaguely charming film runs like a confused growing-up boy’s diary, with amusing dialogue and truthful situations. It’s true that nothing happens, it is pretty much all talk against interesting backgrounds, but it is still quite appealing and engaging.

The hero is real and ingratiating, a mix of shy and over-confident, even conceited and wilful. He’s handsome and well mannered but kind of aloof and sullen. He’s alienated. In the old days he’d have been an Angry Young Man, but now he’s too polite and cultured to be angry. He has a lot of inner turmoil and torment, but not so much. It’s a difficult character to dramatise and to play. We’re supposed to like him and sympathise with him and his middle class dilemmas, and we kind of do. Manfredi Marini does a good job of swinging us over onto his side.

It’s not even a coming of age film, because though the boy hits 20 during the rambling narrative, he hasn’t come of age at all. He’s still looking to try to find his path. What on earth will he be like as an adult? It’s hard to guess and the unrevealing, somewhat teasing film doesn’t give enough clues. The film is so slight, but it has a freshness and a certain something. Yes, it’s the quirky charm. Also, there are very good travelogues round rough East End council block London and lovely historic Siena. Not many people will complain too much that Sicily-born Giovanni Tortorici finds London a crap town and Siena enthralling.

Ironically, since the hero turns his back on studying business in London, Siena where he goes instead is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, a major banking centre until the 13th and 14th centuries. Siena is home to the world’s oldest bank, the Monte dei Paschi, operating continuously since 1472. Of course the hero goes to Siena for the art and literature. And then on to Turin, a major centre for industry, commerce and trade, but also a rich culture and history.

It was shot on 35 mm film in Siena, Palermo, Milan, and London in 2023. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 30 August 2024, and was released in Italy on 27 February 2025.

After working as an assistant director on Luca Guadagnino’s 2020 miniseries We Are Who We Are, Tortorici showed him his script for Diciannove and Guadagnino agreed to produce it. Manfredi Marini was picked as Leonardo by open casting,

Duration: 109 minutes.

Country: Italy, United Kingdom.

Production: Frenesy Film, Pinball London, MeMo Films, Tenderstories, Fandango, Mic, AG Studios, LATAM PICTURES, Toscana Film Commission, Frenesy Film Company, Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (MiBAC).

Cast: Manfredi Marini as Leonardo Gravina, Vittoria Planeta as Leonardo’s sister Arianna Gravina, Dana Giuliano as Arianna’s roommate Grazia, Zackari Delmas, Luca Lazzareschi, Maria Pia Ferlazzo as Leonardo’s mother, Sergio Benvenuto, Samuel Wilberding, Elisabeth Collins, Ugo Giulio Lurini.

 © Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,879

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