Giovanni Tortorici’s “Ketticè” is praised as an amusing and original study of teenage aimlessness, contrasting a convincingly drawn wealthy adolescent with a knowingly exaggerated, clueless adult world. The review argues that Tortorici, following his debut “Diciannove”, has a distinctive ability to capture adolescent mood and character through playful, expressive filmmaking.

Set in Palermo in 2012, the film follows 16-year-old Giulio, whose main struggle is uncertainty about his future despite his privileged upbringing in a historic family palazzo and attendance at private school. Salvatore Gallina plays Giulio, while Monica Bellucci is singled out for her camp, ironic performance as his bourgeois mother; the film uses shifting camera angles, slow-motion sequences and music to reflect Giulio’s changing self-image.