GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020 - 5 is the Perfect Number (5 e il numero perfetto)
GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020
Technically proficient but emotionally hollow, the Italian noir 5 is the Perfect Number is a great example of style over substance. It is slathered with a classic noir style but struggles when it comes to telling a compelling story.
Based on director Igor Tuveri’s graphic novel of the same name, 5 is the Perfect Number revolves around Peppino (Toni Servillo), a retired hitman who is pulled back into the thick of things after his son is murdered in a hit gone wrong.
Right from the get-go, the film wears its classic noir influences on its sleeve: heavily stylized opening credits, self-reflexive internal monologue, heavy use of shadows. Technically speaking, it’s a very well-done homage. Tuveri is clearly a fan of this genre, and he does his best to try and capture what makes them so unique from a visual standpoint. The cinematography by Nicolai Brüel is great at building the atmosphere through the use of lighting and camera movement. He frames the shots in so many different ways, which helps keep it feeling fresh visually. There are fun stylistic touches, such as separating the film into chapters and every chapter beginning with a character in a very comic panel-like pose or action — which helps pay respect to the source material. The costume design is slick and helps establish the time period of the 70s.
D-Ross & Startuffo’s score is a perfect emulation of the noir style. It’s jazzy the whole way through — but sometimes upbeat and sometimes sinister, creating a good contrast of tones. However, not every technical aspect is amazing. The editing by Esmeralda Calabria, Walter Fasano and Jan Hammeuw is mostly just fine, sometimes rising above with some fun creativity and sometimes dipping below with moments of bad continuity. The action sequences are conceptually sound and feature cool moments here and there, but a lot of the execution is just ridiculous. There is too much slow-motion used during them, which gives them a bizarrely slow pace.
Unfortunately, the substantive portion of the film is significantly weaker. Servillo’s performance is decent. He has a few moments that allow him to break through his character’s stoic demeanor to show emotion but he struggles with his delivery of certain lines, and it’s hard to determine whether that’s the fault of him or the dialogue written for him. The supporting actors are all varying degrees of average, doing what they are required to but not much beyond that. Tuveri’s script is a mixed bag. There are some solidly written conversations yet there are also a lot of oddly written lines that are too cheesy for the tone that it’s going for. There are also moments of pointless exposition and scenes that dumb things down for the audience. An early flashback spells out the themes of the movie in a heavy-handed way instead of showing them through the character’s actions. The character development here is minimal, which makes it hard to care about anyone or anything happening. It’s hard to get involved in the central conflict when not much is known about the major players.
5 is the Perfect Number had all the potential in the world to be a fantastic revenge story, but the lack of narrative and character development — as well as a patchy screenplay — hindered the great ideas. Those in the mood for a noir story are better off watching one of the classics.