Notte prima degli esami

Notte prima degli esami
Original movie poster
Directed by	Fausto Brizzi
Produced by	Federica Lucisano Fulvio Lucisano Giannandrea Pecorelli
Written by	Fausto Brizzi Massimiliano Bruno Marco Martani Giannandrea Pecorelli
Starring	Giorgio Faletti Cristiana Capotondi Nicolas Vaporidis Sarah Maestri Chiara Mastalli Andrea De Rosa Eros Galbati Elena Bouryka Valeria Fabrizi
Music by	Bruno Zambrini
Cinematography	Marcello Montarsi
Editing by	Luciana Pandolfelli
Distributed by	01 Distribuzione
Release date(s)	February 17, 2006 (Italy)
Running time	100 min.
Language	Italian

Notte prima degli esami (English: Night Before the Exams) is a 2006 Italian comedy teen film, written and directed by Fausto Brizzi. It describes the lives of two groups of Italian teenagers during the preparation of the esame di maturità (the final exam of Italian high school). It is set in Rome during the year 1989, and it can be seen as an homage to the whole decade.

The inspiration for the title was a famous 1980s song by Antonello Venditti.

A sequel, Notte prima degli esami - Oggi was released in 2007. The sequel features many of the same actors playing the same characters they played in the original, but it is set in 2006, during Italy's World Cup winning summer.

A remake, Nos 18 ans, was released in 2008 in France.

Plot

It's a colourful summer in the '80s, Luca (Nicolas Vaporidis) and his friends prepare for the dreaded maturità (high school graduation) exams, with all the troubles, emotions, mishaps and delights that typically afflict teenagers at this stressful time. At a party, Luca falls in love with an extroverted yet mysterious girl, Claudia (Cristiana Capotondi). He only knows her name; because he knows nothing else about her, he has no idea how to find her again. Meanwhile, Luca is desperately trying to get back in favour with his literature teacher (Giorgio Faletti), who will be the teacher sitting in on his oral exams.

1980s popular culture references

During the film there are numerous references to the 1980s Italian and international popular culture.

Film

• Star Wars saga.
• Palombella Rossa, a 1989 film by Nanni Moretti
• Rambo III

Comics

• Alan Ford
• Dylan Dog
• Silver Surfer
• Mazinger
• Hulk

Games

• Rubik's Cube
• Connect Four
• Dungeons & Dragons

Sport

• Several references to the 1982 FIFA World Cup, won by the Italian national football team
• Calciatori Panini of Italian football's 1988-1989 Serie A division
• Phoenix Suns, an American basketball team
• Subbuteo, a tabletop football game
• Inter Milan, an Italian football team

Computer

• Commodore 64
• Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (known in Italy as Rete!!!)

Music

• "Like a Virgin (song)", Madonna (1984)
• "Lambada", Kaoma (1989)
• "The Final Countdown", Europe (1986)
• "Cosa resterà degli anni '80", Raf (1989)
• "Lamette", Donatella Rettore (1982)
• "The Wild Boys", Duran Duran (1984)
• "Save a Prayer", Duran Duran (1984)
• "Don't Stop Me Now", Queen (1978)
• "Settembre", Antonello Venditti (1986)
• "Notte prima degli esami", Antonello Venditti (1984)

Television

• Indietro tutta (1987–1988), a popular variety show.
• Colpo Grosso (1987–1991), a popular quiz show.

Cars and vehicles

• Boxer Piaggio
• Simca 1000

External links

• Notte prima degli esami (Official site)
• Notte prima degli esami at the Internet Movie Database