A sweet reunion of two friends descends into the dinner party from hell in this smart, well-observed comedy/drama, based around an archetype of Maltese culture. As explained in the opening narration, it is a typical of friends meeting in Malta to say goodbye, or more specifically, “Ciao Ciao”, several times before parting. Often, the first “Ciao Ciao” may be hours from the last, which is true in the case of director Keith Tedesco’s story.

Old friends Charlotte and Jessica (Antonella Axisa and Simone Spiteri) run into each other in the street, and a catch up leads to a dinner party with their husbands. Unfortunately, the two men have less in common – wealthy alpha male Victor (Mikhail Basmadjian) shares his provocative theories and expensive clothes with Sam (Chris Dingli), who resents his host’s boasting and wishes to leave as soon as possible. At first, small coincidences such as a lost phone or a blocked car keep the foursome reluctantly together, but as they discover a hidden connection, things quickly begin to unravel.

It’s a film with inspiration in every corner. While certain aspects of the party’s interactions are declaratively Maltese in nature, there are many elements that are reminiscent of other stories, and make for a flattering comparison. The repeated intention to leave before being drawn back into conversation brings to mind Roman Polasnki’s 2011 Carnage, while the social abrasiveness reminds one of Sally Potter’s 2017 comedy The Party.

That said, the movie has a style of its own, shooting in black and white with excellent use of light to make small spaces feel like battlefields. The main narrative focuses on class – the haves and have nots coming into close contact, before differences boil over into words that can’t be taken back. It is delightfully agonising to watch small irritations become bitter feuds, which often say as much about the couples’ relationships with each other as they do their ‘friends’.

Other stories interlope in a non-linear pattern, which doesn’t always serve the main plot so well and can occasionally feel like a stylistic choice rather than one that advances our understanding of the situation. Still, it doesn’t intrude to the point of derailing the film, and one particular thread, between a woman and a man she mistakes for being suicidal, adds some valuable tenderness to proceedings.

Funny, energetic, and passionate, Ciao Ciao may be rooted in local custom but will give viewers from all backgrounds something to relate to.

Ciao Ciao showed in the 3rd Mediterrane Film Festival, in Malta.