Amanda (cowriter/director Laura Morante) is a slightly neurotic woman whose current relationship isn’t going well. When she meets the cultured and urbane Antoine (Pascal Elbé) at a New Year’s party, she’s convinced he’s gay. As their relationship blossoms, he feels romantic stirrings, but gets the strange sense that she just wants to be friends. Add Amanda’s meddling sister Florence (Isabelle Carré) and her psychologist husband to the mix, and the recipe for a savory comedy of compounding errors is complete. With rapid-fire dialogue and a speedy pace, The Cherry on the Cake is a piquant portrait of a woman’s search for her perfect match.


Written by Daniele Costantini, Laura Morante. Photographed by Maurizio Calvesi. With Laura Morante, Pascal Elbé, Isabelle Carré. 85 min. In Italian and French with subtitles. Films Distribution.