As You Want Me (1997)

As You Want Me Poster
Original Title: Come mi vuoi

Pasquale is a policeman in Roma. During a roundup he meets Desideria. He/she is a transsexual, living together with other two trans , Gaia and Gioia. But overall Desideria is an old friend of Pasquale, they already been attending the same schools. Desideria immediately fall in love for Pasquale. But the policeman has a fiancé, Nellina, even if too far so they meet rarely. That's why Pasquale could change idea about Desideria.

Film Overview
"As You Want Me" is a 1997 Italian drama film directed by Carmine Amoroso and starring Monica Bellucci, Alessandro Gassman, and Francesca Neri. This psychological drama explores themes connected to identity, sexuality, and the mind's capability to remember past occasions. The movie amassed much attention not just for its intriguing story however also for the instinctive efficiency by the lead stars.

Plot
The movie's suspenseful environment centers around Pasquale, an Italian bartender living in Rome represented by Riccardo Salerno, who believes he has found his long-lost pal, Gianni, played by Enrico Lo Verso. The mystery male has been left bereft of memory and scarred after a traumatic event. Pasquale brings the much-altered man home to his small Italian village, wanting to help rehabilitate him with the conveniences of familiarity. Yet, Gianni's existence develops a stir, especially among Pasquale's sister, Luciana, played by Monica Bellucci, and her abusive spouse, Antonio, depicted by Alessandro Gassman.

As the movie unfolds, it's found that Antonioni, a depressed engineer abandoned by his other half, employs Gianni as a gigolo. In return, Antonioni provides him an apartment and financial freedom. However Antonioni's estranged better half Flavia, played by Francesca Neri, comes back into his life, complicating the dynamics of their relationship.

Character Development and Performance
Monica Bellucci provides an extraordinary efficiency as Luciana, portraying her as an intricate character torn between her feelings for her sibling's found good friend and her loyalty to her other half. Alessandro Gassman is equally engaging as the unstable Antonio, whose poise and aggression add another layer of worry and pain to the central relationship. Enrico Lo Verso's representation of the amnesiac Gianni provides a deep sense of intrigue and functions as the lynchpin to much of the film's drama.

Styles and Narrative design
"As You Want Me" includes components of psycho-sexual themes, identity, and memory, which heightened the drama and stress throughout the film. The narrative's fraught expedition of covert desires and quelched pasts provides an interesting look at the impact that past associations and relationships can have on our lives.

Important Reception
Upon its release in 1997, "As You Want Me" polarized critics, with some applauding its darkly seductive story and efficiencies, while others found it too convoluted. Still, it was recognized for its special expedition of memory, identity, and complex relationships and stands out as an influential film in Italian cinema.

Conclusion
"As You Want Me" is an engaging mental drama that checks out the mysteries of memory and identity through its twisted web of relationships. With effective performances and an intriguingly twisted plot, it's a film that successfully explores the darker corners of human interaction and the troubling repercussions of quelched pasts. In spite of the blended reception upon release, the high stakes and intricate character dynamics make it a captivating watch. The movie is a reflection of the intricacies of human relationships and id that comes out in the open in the most unfathomable methods.

Top Cast

  • Enrico Lo Verso (small)
    Enrico Lo Verso
    Domenico /Desideria
  • Vincent Cassel (small)
    Vincent Cassel
    Pasquale
  • Monica Bellucci (small)
    Monica Bellucci
    Nellina
  • Francesco Casale (small)
    Francesco Casale
    Gioia
  • Urbano Barberini (small)
    Urbano Barberini
    Gaia
  • Memè Perlini (small)
    Memè Perlini
    Don Michele
  • Edoardo Rossi
    Drag Queen