“Adagio” is set in Rome, and the story is about Manuel, the son of a former gang member, Daytona. As Manuel gets entangled in a messy situation involving a corrupt cop, Vasco, and compromising photos, the film delves into the desperation for survival. The former gang members Daytona, Cammello, and Polniuman are trying to save Manuel while Manuel is trying to live by trying to escape from Vasco. Despite following the chase between Vasco and Manuel, we don’t see a lot of fast-paced action in the movie.
This article contains spoilers.
Adagio (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The story opens with Manuel, fuelled by rap music, preparing for the day. Manuel’s father, Daytona, is upset as he cannot solve the Rubik’s cube. Manuel needs to leave, and Daytona is specific about Manuel locking the main door before leaving. Manuel arrives at a private party and is allowed inside because of Vasco. Vasco watches the footage from the cameras inside the venue. Manuel’s job is to capture pictures of everything that is going on. Vasco sent Manuel to capture evidence against a minister, and Vasco accepted bribes from influential people for the job. Upon discovering the cameras, Manuel gets scared and leaves the venue. Manuel seeks refuge with Daytona’s old friend, Polniuman, a blind but intelligent man.
Polniuman’s death
Manuel reaches Polniuman’s house and tells him that he was caught with some drugs and the corrupted cops (Carabiniere) in exchange for their silence. Manuel did not want to get his father involved since he has dementia and asked Polniuman to help him. Polniuman is glad Manuel came to him and tells him that he is in deep trouble, mainly because he has a phone given by Vasco, which can be tracked. Meanwhile, Vasco enjoys a meal with his two sons and hears the news of Manuel fleeing. Vasco takes action and asks his comrades to track Manuel down.
Polniuman sends Manuel to Romeo aka Cammello. Polniuman, Cammello and Daytona were former Magliana gang members and Manuel will be safe with Cammello. However, Cammello asks Manuel to leave his house. Cammello’s wife, Silva, is unhappy to have someone from the gang at her doorstep as they lost their son Lollo during a heist. Tragedy strikes when Vasco confronts Polniuman. Polniuman warns Vasco that Manuel knows who he is and asks for a cut in his pay.
Vasco is growing impatient with Polniuman’s talks, but Polniuman continues to say that unless he cracks a deal with him, Vasco will not be able to find Manuel. There is a power cut, which puts Vasco in a vulnerable position. Vasco starts shooting at random, but Polniuman gets one shot at Vasco before he is brought to the ground by Vasco’s bullets. Vasco calls his comrades (Bruno and Massimo) to clean up after him and wipe out fingerprints. Polniuman dies without revealing Manuel’s whereabouts.
Cammello confronts Daytona
After being shunned by Cammello, Manuel takes shelter on Cammello’s rooftop. Cammello is eager to know if Daytona is involved with the mess Manuel has created. Manuel assures him that his father has nothing to do with it. Cammello asks Manuel not to make a noise and stay on the rooftop until he says otherwise. Vasco gets his wounds treated by his friend instead of the hospital as he fears getting caught. Massimo and Bruno are worried as Vasco has shot a former gang member, but Vasco is sure they are okay since these men are old now.
Cammello wants to have a word with Polniuman and reaches his house only to find Polniuman dead. Despite being corrupted, Vasco has problems of his own, and this mission is his only way to get custody of his sons. Cammello asks Manuel to reach out to an intelligent friend of his as he has a message for Daytona. Manuel does as told, and Manuel’s friend takes Daytona to a building. As the narrative progresses, the past collides with the present.
Cammello confronts Daytona, revealing the truth about Manuel’s situation. Daytona tells Cammello that Manuel is adopted and he has never been able to love him dearly. Cammello leads Daytona to a private space in the building and warns him that if Daytona is messing with him, he will kill him and Manuel. Cammello blames Daytona for losing his son, and every minute he spends in jail frustrates him.
Daytona is dead
Manuel has broken the lock on the rooftop’s door and has fled. Cammello is frustrated because of Manuel’s actions. Vasco and the team enter Daytona’s house and check Manuel’s computer to find clues. Massimo finds Cammello’s name on repeat in Manuel’s rap sheet. Bruno watches Daytona and informs Vasco that Daytona did not enter his residence. Daytona has dementia. But sometimes, he can remember things about his life, and he remembers what is going on now.
Daytona suddenly enters Vasco’s car and holds a knife against his neck. He warns them they must leave him and Manuel alone, or he will take care of them the gangster way. Daytona ensures Vasco drops him off in front of the police station so they can’t attack him. Manuel and Daytona meet, and Daytona asks Manuel to get his belongings from the house and move out. Manuel gets home and finds something is wrong, and instead of going in, he returns to Cammello’s house.
The story takes a dark turn when Vasco and his men kidnap and torture Daytona, hoping to extract information about Manuel’s whereabouts. Vasco reveals to Daytona the truth about Manuel, that Manuel was picked for the job as he was caught giving a blow job to another man. Daytona has no response but starts counting numbers, infuriating Vasco and leading him to shoot Daytona. Massimo is scared, but Vasco assures him that he will take the blame and leave him out of it. Still, he needs to clean up the mess.
Cammello helps Manuel
Nowhere else to go, Manuel is hoping Cammello will help him. Manuel assures Cammello that nobody followed him to Cammello’s house. However, Cammello is smart and tells Manuel they must remove his moped. After abandoning Manuel’s moped, they drive towards the train station, but Cammello starts throwing up. Cammello has cancer, and hence, he was released from prison. They take a break and start driving again. Manuel is honest with Cammello and tells him the real reason he was caught was because of his sexual activity in public with another man. The reason Manuel did it was because he needed money to live comfortably. Cammello asks Manuel to leave Rome by taking a train.
Meanwhile, Vasco and Bruno arrive at Cammello’s house looking for Manuel but only find Silva. Silva assures them that she doesn’t know anything, and they leave. Cammello is back home and is met with an annoyed and frightened Silva. Cammello tells Silva that he dropped Manuel at the train station. However, after hearing about Vasco’s visit, he gets suspicious. Cammello looks under the dining table and finds a recorder. Vasco and the team hear Cammello and rush to the train station. Cammello says he didn’t know anything and just helped a kid, knowing Vasco could listen to the conversation.
Adagio (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
Will Cammello save Manuel?
Cammello takes Silva aside and whispers, saying they need to leave right away. She drops Silva off at her sister’s house and promises to come back for her later. Cammello then takes a morphine injection and drives to the train station. Vasco and Bruno are watching the CCTV camera, hoping to find Manuel. Upon seeing him, they rush to the platform, but Cammello is also inside the train station, looking at Vasco and Bruno. Vasco and Bruno don’t recognize Cammello as they are searching for Manuel.
Bruno spots Manuel and is about to inform Vasco, but Cammello shoots him. Vasco looks towards Cammello and starts shooting. Cammello fires back, and the bullet hits Vasco in the neck. Vasco is not ready to give up, so he chases Manuel and fires a few shots. Manuel changes platforms, and a train stands between them. However, Manuel does not get inside and watches Vasco die. Manuel and Vasco’s kids are now at the police station. Silva is also called to the police station. Vasco’s child Matteo and Manuel converse, and Manuel gives Matteo his headphones. The minister Vasco was chasing had resigned, and they were working on eliminating rumors about him.
The film’s ending does not entirely give closure to what happened to Manuel, but the story primarily focuses on the gang members and corrupted cops. The film was symbolic in a way as all three gang members died trying to protect Manuel and the corrupt cops who also died, showing the death of evil. Manuel and Matteo’s exchange towards the end proved hopeful for the next generation of gang members and a corrupted cop’s kids. The burning of the city, repeated several times by Cammello, is also symbolic of how the humans functioned and the need for renewal by burning everything evil and starting fresh.
![Hacksaw Ridge [2016] : The Hero of War](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Andrew-Garfield-Hacksaw-Ridge-e1483384758541-768x340.jpg)