From the director of 'The Consequences of Love' comes a highly original, gripping and occasionally grotesque suspense drama. 'The Family Friend' intensely explores extreme emotions whilst playing out a clever confidence-trick crime plot. In a small town, an ageing loan shark who lives with his mother is undone by greed and his fatal attraction to a beautiful young woman. The film manages to use its small-town setting and gallery of idiosyncratic characters to considerable effect. Visually stunning, The Family Friend's tragicomic tone and almost surreal atmosphere recall Fellini but the distinctive direction and contemporary style confirm filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino as a major talent in his own right. Further embellishments include the luminous cinematography by Luca Bigazzi and excellent score by Teho Teardo.