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★★★
Directed by: Alan Richard Halls
Written by: #AlanRichardHalls
Vanilla. Strawberry. Chocolate. The tricolours and flavours of glory for any lucky boy or girl whose parents bought them neapolitan ice cream when they were young. If the famous dessert brings back loving and dear memories you may want to keep them unspoilt and avoid #shortfilm Neapolitan Porno from filmmaker Alan Richard Halls. Halls puts the ice cream front and centre in his rapid homage to the inglorious porn movie style of the 1970s.
With a retro aspect ratio and tacky visuals, Halls goes as far as to shoot on super 8mm film in order to reproduce the look and feel of a '70s porno. The content is not actually sexual or even adult. Instead, the film is a fun and silly display of applying toppings to actual ice cream in a way that suggests lasciviousness. Nuts, cream, and sauce all make an appearance which are likely to get a giggle from audiences of a foolish disposition.
Foodies everywhere will be able to relate to the stirrings they feel when a properly prepared gastro delight is in the making, even if they don't quite narrate the moment out loud. There are much better movies out there that explore passion around food but you are unlikely to stumble upon many that go to these raunchy lengths. There are also a couple of comedy notes which land well at the end of the piece regardless of the lack of any plot or ulterior thematic depth.
Aesthetically there are some impressive aspects in Neapolitan Porno. The quick editing is wonderfully engaging, keeping the viewer in a state of bafflement for the entire running time (which isn't that long to be fair). The use of intense close-up shots also creates a powerful effect on the audience. We are given huge frames of oozing ice cream and toppings thrown with reckless abandon. The atmosphere created is one of gluttonous ecstasy that is uncomfortable and exhilarating in equal measure. It's three scoops of unadulterated voraciousness.
The contrasting tones of a porno with a food prep clip make for a unique viewing experience and Halls prepares his movie well. Filmmakers attempting blends of cinematic styles and atmospheres should be commended and the ingredients here are as unlikely as you are going to find. Regrettably, the result, much like the desert, is an unnecessary and whimsical deviation that will have you longing for something wholesome and proper in no time.
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