Melissa P. (film)

Melissa P.
Promotional poster
Directed by	Luca Guadagnino
Produced by	Claudio Amendola José Ibáñez Francesca Neri Roberto Manni
Written by	Barbara Alberti Cristiana Farina Luca Guadagnino Melissa Panarello
Starring	María Valverde Geraldine Chaplin Primo Reggiani Fabrizia Sacchi
Music by	Lucio Godoy
Cinematography	Mario Amura
Editing by	Walter Fasano
Running time	113 min
Country	Italy Spanish
Language	Italian
Box office	$7 million + (Italy)[1]

Melissa P. is a 2005 erotic drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino. It is based on Melissa Panarello's semi-autobiographical diary novel, 100 colpi di spazzola prima di andare a dormire (One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed) which focuses on the narrator's teenage sex life. María Valverde stars as the protagonist, alongside Geraldine Chaplin in the Italian-Spanish production. The film was released on 18 November, 2005 in Italy, where it topped the box office.^[2]

Plot

Melissa (Valverde) is a shy 15-year-old virgin who feels increasinly distant from her family, her father works on a foreign oil rig and her mother (Sacci) is too preoccupied with her housewife persona to notice when something is wrong with her daughter. The only person that senses Melissa's discomfort is her grandmother, Elvira (Chaplin). However Melissa feels completely isolated when Elvira is carted off to a retirement home.

Melissa's sexual education moves beyond her masturbation to a humiliating oral sex encounter behind the swimming pool with Daniele (Reggiani), the most attractive and wealthy local boy. Despite the less-than-romantic encounter, Melissa's crush for Daniele only increases. She fantasizes about Daniele to encourage an orgasm during gym class. She later loses her virginity, which again is not an idyllic encounter.

Later she engages in a threesome with Daniele and his friend Arnaldo (Germano), fully realizing her sexual power and taking control of her sex life.^[2]

Cast

• María Valverde as Melissa P.
• Geraldine Chaplin as Nonna Elvira
• Primo Reggiani as Daniele
• Fabrizia Sacchi as Daria
• Elio Germano as Arnaldo
• Nilo Mur as Marco
• Letizia Ciampa as Manuela
• Claudio Santamaria as Custode del museo
• Pier Giorgio Bellocchio as Istruttore di nuoto
• Marcello Mazzarella as Chiunque

References

1. ^ Jennings, Sheri. Territories tell the tale. Variety. January 9, 2006 - January 15, 2006
2. ^ ^{a b} Young, Deborah. Melissa P.. Variety. 12 December 2005

External links

• Melissa P. at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website