Movies: Gioco pericoloso (2025) by Lucio Pellegrini: A Delicate and Intense Triangle of Art and Love

When Art, Love, and Ambition Collide

Gioco pericoloso is an Italian drama from director Lucio Pellegrini. The film tells the intense love story between Giada (Elodie), a talented ballerina preparing for her first leading role, and Carlo (Adriano Giannini), a writer grappling with creative block. Their intense bond is tested by the arrival of a young, emerging artist, Peter (Eduardo Scarpetta), whose presence threatens to expose a hidden secret from Giada's past. The film is a poignant exploration of passion, sacrifice, and the turbulent intersection of art and relationships.

Why to watch this movie: A Blend of Artistic Passion and Emotional Drama

• Stellar Casting: The film features a strong cast, including popular singer and actress Elodie in a significant acting role.

• Artistic and Visual Appeal: The movie is set against a backdrop of dance and writing, offering a visually poetic and aesthetically pleasing cinematic experience.

• Intense Emotional Storytelling: It provides a raw and honest look at a love triangle, exploring jealousy, ambition, and the secrets that can threaten even the strongest bonds.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/it/film/gioco-pericoloso (Italy)

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/it/title/tt35886643/

About movie: https://cineuropa.org/en/film/475026/

What is the Trend followed?: The "Romantic Drama" with a Modern Twist

• Art-Centric Narratives: The film follows the trend of dramas that place artists and their creative struggles at the center of the story.

• Love Triangles: It uses the classic love triangle trope but updates it with a focus on modern relationships, ambition, and the complexities of adult life.

• Psychological Realism: The film focuses on the inner psychological turmoil of its characters, using their emotions as the primary driver of the plot.

Director's Vision: The Complexity of Human Relationships

• Lucio Pellegrini's vision was to create a film that explored the complexities of human relationships, particularly how passion and ambition can both unite and destroy people.

• He aimed to portray the world of art—dance and writing—with authenticity, using it as a mirror to reflect the characters' inner lives and conflicts.

• The director sought to tell a story where the external conflict is secondary to the internal drama, making the movie a deeply personal and emotional experience.

Themes: Love, Ambition, and The Past

• Love and Passion: The central theme is the overwhelming power of love and passion, both romantic and artistic. The film shows how these two forces can consume and define a person's life.

• Ambition and Sacrifice: The characters are driven by their ambitions, and the film explores the sacrifices they are willing to make for their careers and their love.

• The Weight of the Past: The movie’s tension is built around a secret from Giada's past. The film explores how an unspoken secret can poison a relationship and how the past can never truly be left behind.

Key success factors: Casting and emotional depth

• Elodie's Performance: As a popular singer, Elodie's acting debut is a key success factor. Her presence is a major draw for audiences.

• Emotional Nuance: The film is praised for its ability to handle complex emotional themes with maturity and nuance, avoiding melodrama.

• Artistic Backdrop: The world of ballet and literature provides a compelling and beautiful setting that enhances the emotional narrative.

Awards and Nominations: Awaited Recognition

As a very recent film, Gioco pericoloso has not yet been considered for major awards.

Critics Reception: Mixed but Intruiging

• Cronis01: The provided user review on IMDb describes the film as "empty, predictable," and lacking in atmosphere, with a performance that is not noteworthy.

• IMDb: The user rating of 4.9/10 on IMDb suggests a mixed to negative reception from the audience.

The critical reception for the film appears to be mixed to negative, with some viewers expressing disappointment with the plot and pacing.

Reviews: A Polarizing Film

• The provided review from Cronis01 highlights the film’s "lack of atmosphere" and "predictable" nature, which is a sentiment echoed in the overall low IMDb user score.

• The reviews from other sources are not available, but the IMDb data suggests that the film has a low overall rating from the audience, making it a polarizing film.

Reviews suggest that while the film has an intriguing premise, it may not have delivered on its potential for all viewers.

What Movie Trend film is following: The "Love Triangle" Drama

The film follows the classic narrative trend of the love triangle, a timeless trope used to explore themes of jealousy, passion, and betrayal in a contained, emotionally charged setting.

What Big Social Trend is following: The Modernization of Relationships

The film taps into the social trend of the modernization of relationships, showing how love, ambition, and professional pressures intersect in the digital age, creating new challenges for couples.

Final Verdict: A Polarizing Artistic Drama

Gioco pericoloso is a visually artistic film with a promising cast and a compelling premise. However, based on the provided reviews, it may be a polarizing watch, appreciated more for its aesthetic and themes than for its plot execution.