Antonio Folletto
Vito
Overview
Drowning in debt, two brothers concoct a plan to scam a wealthy heiress and save their home in Naples — but unexpected love soon complicates the scheme.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readLove’s Con: When the Grift Becomes the Heart
I’ve seen this trick before. The meet-cute that’s really a meet-swindle. The charming rogue who’s just a little too good at lying.
The heiress who’s smarter than she seems. The Love Scam knows the rules of the romantic con game—You’ve Got Mail, The Shop Around the Corner, even Aladdin—and it plays them with the easy confidence of a street magician who’s done the same trick a thousand times. But here’s the thing about tricks: sometimes, the hand is quicker than the eye. And sometimes, the eye starts to wonder if the trick was ever the point at all.
Umberto Riccioni Carteni’s film is a romantic comedy set in Naples, a city that’s as much a character as the people who scramble through its sunlit streets. Vito (Antonio Folletto) and his brother Antonello (Vincenzo Nemolato) are drowning in debt, their backs against the wall of a Naples that’s as beautiful as it is unforgiving. Their solution?
A scam. A big one. They’ll target Marina (Laura Adriani), a wealthy heiress, and relieve her of just enough cash to save their home.
The plan is simple: Vito will pose as a suave, wealthy stranger named Carlo, woo her, and then disappear with her money. What could go wrong?
Everything, of course. Because this is a rom-com, and rom-coms have rules. Rule one: the con artist always falls for the mark.
Rule two: the mark always sees through the con. Rule three: by the time the truth comes out, it doesn’t matter anymore. The Love Scam follows these rules so closely it feels like it’s checking them off a list. And yet—here’s the surprise—it works.
Not because it’s original, but because it’s good at what it does. The film is a well-oiled machine, humming along with the kind of affable charm that makes you forget, for a little while, that you’ve seen this story before.
The chemistry between Folletto and Adriani is the engine that keeps the film running. Their scenes together have a lightness, a playfulness, that makes the familiar feel fresh. There’s a moment early on, when Vito-as-Carlo first meets Marina at a café, where the camera lingers on their hands—his nervously adjusting his cufflinks, hers tracing the rim of her espresso cup.
It’s a small thing, but it’s the kind of detail that sells the illusion. Folletto, in particular, is a revelation. He plays Vito as a man who’s spent his life pretending to be someone he’s not, and the strain of it shows in the way he carries himself—shoulders slightly hunched, as if he’s always bracing for the moment the lie will collapse.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.2/10
"A charming but uneven romantic crime caper with standout performances and a vibrant Naples backdrop."
The film’s lead actors deliver compelling performances, particularly in their romantic and comedic moments, which resonate well with audiences. The Naples setting adds a fresh, lively atmosphere that enhances the story’s charm. However, the plot’s predictability and underdeveloped side characters leave some viewers wanting more depth and originality.
What viewers praise
- Strong lead performances Antonio Folletto and Laura Adriani bring energy and authenticity to their roles, making their characters’ romance feel genuine.
- Vibrant setting The Naples backdrop is praised for its visual appeal and cultural richness, adding a unique flavor to the film.
- Engaging chemistry The dynamic between the leads keeps the story lively, even when the plot falters.
- Lighthearted tone The blend of comedy and romance works well, offering a fun and entertaining watch.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows familiar crime-romance tropes, leaving little room for surprises.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles feel thin and lack the depth needed to fully support the main narrative.
- Uneven pacing Some scenes drag while others rush, disrupting the flow of the story.
Recommended for
Romantic comedy fans Italian cinema lovers Light crime drama enthusiasts Antonio Folletto admirers Neapolitan setting fans
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Love Scam: A Neapolitan Con Job with Heart
The Love Scam (2025) is shaping up to be one of Italy’s most anticipated comedic dramas of the year, blending financial desperation, family bonds, and a twist of romance. Directed by Umberto Riccioni Carteni, the film follows two brothers in Naples who devise an elaborate scheme to swindle a wealthy heiress—only to find their plan unraveling when love enters the equation. With a cast of rising Italian stars and a premise that balances humor with stakes, here’s what we know about the movie so far.
A Desperate Plan in Naples
At the heart of The Love Scam is a high-stakes con. Brothers Vito (Antonio Folletto) and Ant (Vincenzo Nemolato) are drowning in debt, facing eviction, and scrambling to keep their home in Naples. Vito is also fighting for sole custody of his son after his partner leaves the country, adding urgency to their predicament 
. Their solution? Target a wealthy heiress (Laura Adriani) with a carefully crafted scam to secure the money they need.
The film’s setting in Naples isn’t just backdrop—it’s a character. The city’s vibrant streets, economic struggles, and tight-knit communities provide the perfect stage for a story about survival and morality. Riccioni Carteni, known for his lighthearted yet socially observant films, leans into the tension between the brothers’ desperation and the comedic chaos of their scheme .
The Cast: Familiar Faces and Rising Stars
The Love Scam brings together a mix of established and emerging Italian talent. Antonio Folletto, who plays Vito, has been a steady presence in Italian cinema, while Vincenzo Nemolato (Ant) has gained attention for his roles in both drama and comedy. Laura Adriani, cast as the heiress caught in the brothers’ trap, is no stranger to complex female roles, having appeared in projects like The Hand of God (2021).
The supporting cast includes Saverio Picozzi and Vincenzo Picozzi (likely playing key roles in the brothers’ scheme), along with Loris De Luna, Biagio Manna, and Roberto De Francesco, whose involvement suggests a web of allies, rivals, or unwitting victims [1]. Guglielmo Capasso and Gabriella Cerino round out the ensemble, though their characters’ roles remain under wraps.
A Director’s Signature: Comedy with a Bite
Umberto Riccioni Carteni has built a reputation for films that blend humor with sharp social commentary. Born in Rome in 1970, he started as an assistant director before stepping into the spotlight with features that dissect contemporary Italian life [5]. The Love Scam appears to follow that tradition, using the brothers’ con as a lens to explore themes of economic hardship, family loyalty, and the blurred lines between right and wrong.
Early buzz suggests the film walks a tightrope between farce and drama. RogerEbert.com’s review snippet hints at the tonal balancing act, noting that while times are tough in the world of romantic comedies, The Love Scam manages to keep its stakes high without losing its sense of humor [3]. Whether it lands as a crowd-pleaser or a more nuanced character study remains to be seen, but Riccioni Carteni’s track record suggests it won’t be a straightforward genre piece.
What We Don’t Know (Yet)
For all the details that have surfaced, The Love Scam still holds plenty of mysteries. The exact nature of the brothers’ scam—how they target the heiress, what goes wrong, and how love complicates things—is teased but not fully revealed in the available snippets [1][2]. The film’s reception is also an open question; while IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes pages exist, no aggregate scores or in-depth reviews have been widely published yet [1].
There’s also no word on whether the film will lean into Naples’ rich cultural identity beyond its setting. Will it feature local music, dialects, or cameos from Neapolitan figures? For now, those details are left to the imagination.
Why It Matters
The Love Scam arrives at a time when Italian cinema is gaining international traction, thanks to films like The Hand of God and The Great Beauty. Riccioni Carteni’s project has the potential to ride that wave, offering a story that’s both distinctly Italian and universally relatable. The premise—a con gone awry, with love as the wildcard—is a classic setup, but the Naples backdrop and the director’s knack for social observation could give it fresh energy.
With a January 1, 2025, release date in the U.S., the film is poised to kick off the new year with a mix of laughs, drama, and Mediterranean flair [2]. Whether it becomes a sleeper hit or a cult favorite, one thing is clear: The Love Scam is a project to watch.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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