''A Pure Formality'' ( it, Una pura formalità) is a 1994

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

- French

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

co-written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It stars Gérard Depardieu as a reclusive writer and

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

as a police detective.

Synopsis

Onoff (Depardieu) is a famous writer who is now a recluse. The Inspector (Polanski) is suspicious when Onoff is brought into the police station one night, disoriented and suffering from amnesia. As the head of an isolated, rural police station the Inspector tries to establish events through careful interrogation and deduction. Through his painstaking inquiries, he eventually clears up a mysterious killing and brings the writer to a new and unexpected realisation.

Cast

* Gérard Depardieu - Onoff *

- Inspector *

Sergio Rubini Sergio Rubini (born 21 December 1959) is an Italian actor, film director and screenwriter. Life and career Rubini was born in Grumo Appula, Apulia, but soon moved to Rome to study acting. After some roles in theater, he debuted in a feature ...

- Andre, the Young Policeman * Nicola Di Pinto - Captain *

Tano Cimarosa Tano Cimarosa, real name Gaetano Cisco, (1 January 1922 – 24 May 2008) was an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. He participated in more than fifty movies. He played the "Blacksmith" in the Oscar-winning film ''Cinema Paradiso'' fr ...

- Servant * Paolo Lombardi - Marshall * Maria Rosa Spagnolo - Paula * Massimo Vanni

Reception

''A Pure Formality'' was nominated for a

Golden Palm The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

at the

1994 Cannes Film Festival The 47th Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 1994. The Palme d'Or went to the American film '' Pulp Fiction'' directed by Quentin Tarantino. The festival opened with '' The Hudsucker Proxy'', directed by Joel Coen and closed with ''S ...

. It also received a David di Donatello for Best Production Design ( Andrea Crisanti).

References

External links

* * Films directed by Giuseppe Tornatore Italian thriller drama films 1990s Italian-language films 1994 films 1994 crime thriller films Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films about amnesia 1990s Italian films {{1990s-Italy-film-stub