The Consequences of Love

The Consequences of Love

Year: 2004

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: Italian

Director: Paolo Sorrentino

DramaThrillerCrime

Set in Lugano, Switzerland, the film follows Titta Di Girolamo, a quiet, withdrawn figure who has spent nearly ten years confined to a modest hotel room, trapped in a monotonous routine that seems purposeless. His past remains a mystery; no one knows his occupation, and he evades probing questions with vague answers. As the story unfolds, the audience is drawn into the dark secret he guards.

Melancholic
Bleak ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Slow pacing
Moderate complexity

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Timeline & Setting – The Consequences of Love (2004)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Consequences of Love (2004). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 2000s

Set in contemporary times, the backdrop blends opulent hotel life with underworld pressure and discreet financial dealings. The period emphasizes wealth, global money flows, and a sense of fragility beneath a polished surface. The narrative relies on a present-day Swiss-Italian setting to heighten tension and explore the cost of living a life of secrets.

Location

Lugano, Switzerland

Lugano is a lakeside Swiss city known for its banks, luxury hotels, and refined pace. The story unfolds almost entirely within an upscale hotel, its bar, and the surrounding streets and a nearby bank. The hotel's elegance contrasts with the danger and emptiness of Titta's routine, shaping the mood of detachment.

🏨 Luxury hotel setting 🇨🇭 Swiss locale

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:16

Main Characters – The Consequences of Love (2004)

Meet the key characters of The Consequences of Love (2004), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Titta Di Girolamo (Toni Servillo)

A middle-aged loner who lives in an upscale Lugano hotel, moving through its corridors with ritualized calm. He keeps emotional distance, hides that he once gambled away billions for the mob, and masks his heroin use as a coping mechanism. His carefully fenced life is jolted by a chance at love with Sofia, and by the dangerous world of his mafioso obligations.

🧊 Reserved 🎭 Complex 💼 Calculated

Sofia (Olivia Magnani)

A stylish and generous waitress who embodies warmth and generosity. She awakens a rare tenderness in Titta, prompting him to reveal his secrets. Her affection is tested by the perilous world surrounding his money and the mafia's reach.

💖 Compassionate 🎭 Compelling 🌹 Romantic

Pippo D'Antò (Vincenzo Vitagliano)

Titta's Mafia contact who orders actions and moves the plot forward. He represents the outside pressure that pushes Titta toward accountability and risk as the money is hunted.

⚖️ Mafia ties 💼 Professional 🗡️ Threat looming

Dino Giuffré (Giovanni Morosso)

Titta's long-lost best friend, an electrician in the Alps who figures in memory and loyalty. His presence triggers reflections on loyalty, friendship, and the cost of living under pressure.

🧭 Loyalty 🧠 Memory 🌌 Quiet resilience

Bank Manager (Antonio Ballerio)

A bank staff member who notices the missing money and tests Titta’s composure. Their action helps keep the monetary deception hidden, at least temporarily.

🏦 Bureaucratic scrutiny 🗃️ Scrutiny 💼 Professional

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:16

Major Themes – The Consequences of Love (2004)

Explore the central themes of The Consequences of Love (2004), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Isolation

Titta's meticulously controlled life in the hotel isolates him from others. He navigates daily routines with ritual-like precision, shielding himself from emotional risk. The setting magnifies his loneliness, even as Sofia's presence hints at a possibility of connection.

💰 Money and Morality

A fortune tied to crime drives the plot: Titta pawns money to the mafia; a missing $100,000 reveals tension and deception in the bank. The liquidity of cash clashes with personal loyalty, and Titta's choice to withhold information becomes a moral test. The pursuit of a meaningful gift for Sofia complicates his internal ethics.

💖 Love and Risk

Sofia awakens a rare warmth in Titta, coaxing him to reveal parts of himself he otherwise hides. Their growing romance is intimate but constrained by danger and secrecy. The relationship becomes a fragile counterpoint to his controlled life, raising questions about whether love can alter a fate built on fear and obligation.

🧭 Loyalty and Memory

The memory of his best friend Dino and the loyalty he feels anchor Titta as events spiral. Loyalty is tested by threats and the moral price of keeping or exposing the past. The ending invites reflection on memory, sacrifice, and the cost of surviving under pressure.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:16

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Narrative Summary

The narrative often centers on a protagonist living in a state of self-imposed or forced isolation, their routine a fragile shield against a threatening past. The plot unfolds as this fragile control is challenged, leading to a tense, inevitable confrontation with the forces they've been hiding from.

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melancholicbleakexistentialregretmoral ambiguityheavylonely

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a world-weary protagonist, often deeply involved in a criminal world, who is confronted by a chance for human connection or escape. This hope is ultimately crushed by the inescapable nature of their circumstances, leading to a conclusion that emphasizes the futility of their struggle and the permanence of their moral debt.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their fusion of crime elements with deep existential themes. They share a melancholic tone, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on the psychological devastation of a life lived in moral compromise, rather than the glamour or action of crime.

Unlock the Full Story of The Consequences of Love

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The Consequences of Love Summary

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The Consequences of Love Summary

The Consequences of Love Timeline

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The Consequences of Love Timeline

The Consequences of Love Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Consequences of Love Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Consequences of Love

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