‘Stay Calm’ (2023) is a comedy that follows Giorgio Martini, Italy’s Minister of Culture. In a plan to win public favour and advance his political career, Martini plans to stage a scandalous kidnapping to boost his public image. Not everything goes to plan however, as the hired kidnapper has goals of his own.
The film introduces Martini (Billy Zane) as the non-Italian speaking Minister of Culture, on his way to his PA’s parents house for the week end. There he and Marco prepare to get ready for the evening, - having hired the influencer/actress Pamela to act as Martini’s mistress, the duo run through the script, planning out what should look like an attempted kidnapping.
Having hired Enrico, an ex-business associate of Martini’s, Marco leaves Martini and Pamela to get acquainted, to stage their affair and wait for the kidnapper to show up. After arriving, Enrico flips the scrip and begins threatening Martini, revealing he had spent the last 5 years in prison because of him. Marco returns and the foursome talk though their differences, with Enrico blaming Martini for his prison sentence and Martini pushing back, stating his prison sentence was due to his violent tendencies.
Later on the group appear on a talk show, with Martini coming clean to the public, admitting that he was going to stage the scandalous affair and kidnapping, whilst also making amends with Marco, Pamela and Enrico. Thereafter, the group re-convene at the house to watch the segment, having come together as friends.
‘Stay Calm’ teeters between political satire and caricaturing the current state of media. Through Giorgio’s attempted scandal, the film pokes fun at the lengths to which some people may choose to go to to achieve certain goals.
Ridiculing politics has always been a worth while venture, as the territory comes with built in material that is ripe for comedy and a farce. ‘Stay Calm’ proves however, that it does not guarantee success just staging your story in and around the misdoings of a minister and his right hand man.
The film takes what promises to be a titillating premise, yet fails to deliver on where it could have pressed for intensity and suspense. Rather, the chemistry between the cast seems to falter and ends up delivering at times awkward and confusing exchanges, and failing to present genuine connections.
Where the film seems to disappoint particularly is the relationship between Zane’s Giorgio and Francesco Meoni’s Enrico. The friction between the characters is substantial, with them throwing jibes at each other constantly, yet by the end of the story, their discontent with each other does not seem to have reached a resolution, rather with the film ending only because it has run its course.
A further missed opportunity seems Samantha Michela Capitoni’s Pamela, - a social media influencer that seems superfluous to the story. Her character is introduced as someone who will do anything to further her career, yet the results of the story seem to have left little impact on her in terms of personal development.
A bit confusing and muddled, ‘Stay Calm’ sets out to beguile with its charming characters and stimulating premise, set on the political arena, involving plots, schemes and backstabbing. What it ends up being is an unresolved personal conflict and what feels like a half-assed public apology video once Giorgio decides to host a public forum. Not quite as captivating as it thinks itself to be, ‘Stay Calm’ feel more like a misfire than anything else.
Score: 1/4
Comments