Reviews (199)

Probably the best movie about loving the movies
Rightfully known as a movie for people who love the movies, "Cinema Paradiso" ("Nuovo cinema Paradiso") is Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 memoir of growing up in a small Sicilian town. A famous film director returns home for the first time in years to attend the funeral of an old man, but this bit of foreshadowing hardly prepares us for the depth of the tale. For the young Salvatore who is called Toto (Salvatore Cascio), the center of the universe is the local cinema and its projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). When we first see them together in the projection booth, Alfredo is editing out the kissing and other inappropriate scenes from a new film under the supervision of the local priest, Father Adelfio (Leopoldo Trieste) who rings a bell every time he finds something objectionable. The good father rings the bell a lot, to the dismay of the local citizens who bemoan the fact they have never seen a kiss on screen. Unlike most films featuring the cute kid and the grumpy old man, "Cinema Paradiso" presents the odd couple as kindred spirits from the very start. They both love the same thing: the movies. Even when the adolescent Salvatore (Marco Leonardi) discovers something else to love besides the movies in the form of a young woman named Elena (Agnese Nano), he is equally devote in his new obsession, standing outside her window for days in the pouring rain to impress her. Of course Salvatore loves not only the Cinema house but Alfredo as well, and when tragedy befalls them both he has to take his place in a new world while hanging on to the old. Finally, Alfredo has to kick Salvatore out of the nest and send him off into the world with the warning never to come back, because Salvatore's dreams will never be realized in the town of his birth. "Cinema Paradiso" is a film that captures both the pain as well as the joy of remembering the past. When the grown Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) opens up the gift left to him by the man who was much more than his father figure, we know immediately exactly what he has received. But that knowledge does not attract from the emotional impact of that glorious final montage.

One of the Best Films of the Last 20 Years
Guiseppe Tornatore's masterpiece proves for once, and for all, that you can indeed go home again. "Cinema Paradiso" is a timeless tribute to family, friendship and love as seen through the eyes of Toto, a filmmaker, who abandons his small town roots in search of that elusive "something more" in life. In a truly universal manner, Toto experiences success, failure, love and emptiness prior to the film's beautiful finale in which life's true meaning becomes clear to him. The childhood relationship between Toto and his father figure Alfredo, a projectionest at the local cinema, is the centerpiece of the film. Their ensuing lifelong friendship is simply priceless. The legendary Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score provides the perfect emotional backdrop . Overall, "Cinema Paradiso" is a stunning film that works on all levels. A word of warning: even the most macho of all macho will have trouble holding back tears during the film's remarkable final 15 minutes. Not to be missed!

Only one word that pops out when watching this: NOSTALGIA!!!
To make it short, this is the one and only movie that makes me cry every time I watch it. It's the kind of movie that melts your heart and keeps you thinking about it for days ahead. Also, I've never heard a soundtrack as beautiful as the one in this movie. It only helps bring out your tears more easily, especially in the last sequence.

A passion for film and filmmaking
I have not seen the "new Director's cut" version, and based on what the other reviewers have been saying, I'm so very glad. This movie has always had a special place in my film heart.

The theme of love has never really been so subtly and wonderfully dramatized. And the love is on so many levels: love for the opposite sex, love for filmmaking, love for family, love for one's hometown, etc. The plot is deceivingly simple and traditional but there are elements that are very unique. What particularly appeals to me isn't just the developing relationships among the main characters, but the relationships going on among the townsfolk. The extras are not anonymous here: all the patrons of the Cinema Paradiso have a slim storyline that are quite amusing. (In one sequence, a young couple are kissing. Next time we see them they're doing something more than just kissing. By the end of the film, they have a family in tow.)

Anyway, the story aside, CINEMA PARADISO is so gorgeously filmed, it's so pleasing to the eye that it's almost unbearable. This is a film for lovers of film and filmmaking.

Stay away from the director's cut
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite movies ever. This review is about the director's cut, it just ruins the whole movie. If you loved the original movie, don't watch this new version.

Cinema Paradiso is mainly a love story. But it's not about the relationship between Toto and Elena, it's about the relationship between Toto and Alfredo. The new version turns the whole move upside down. Not only the plot, but the characters too. Elena becomes the most important part of the story. And the character of Alfredo becomes a completely different person through the eyes of Toto. I don't want to give away anything about the "new" plot. But believe me, the director's cut and it's brand new 51 minutes changes the whole movie into -what a critic said, "mundane soup opera." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Marcello at his best!
This is a heart-wrenching but beautiful film about a lonely but hopeful Sicilian pensioner who happily chats to his long-deceased wife and thinks his five adult children, who have moved to live separate lives in the mainland, are all huge successes. When his children disappoint him by not agreeing to a family reunion beach-side holiday in Sicily, he packs his bag and boards a train to go visit each of them, for the very first time. As he travels to Naples, Rome, and Milan, trying to surprise each child with his visit, he is the one surprised to find that as the film's ironic title suggest "Everybody is not Fine". Despite the bittersweet realities Matteo Scuro is faced with, the film has much humour and the character of Matteo, charmingly played by the legendary Marcello Mastroianni, is totally enchanting. Entertaining film that will make you think about life, about our expectations of those we love, and about what's really important.

wonderful movie
Very good movie! Quite moving, done with good humour. Highly recommended.

Wonderful, moving, intelligent!
This English-subtitled Italian film is the perfect film to entertain the whole family, except for perhaps younger children. In this film, you will feel pain, joy, wonder, and a feeling somewhere in-between as you travel with an elderly and charming Sicilian man from Sicily to the mainland. You will understand a bit more clearly the Sicilian family system and how it plays out- the importance placed upon extraordinarily close family relationships and honour within the family unit. This film will remind you of your Sicilian grandparents and refresh your appreciation for a simpler, more beautiful life.

another Mastroianni hit
A touching story of an elderly man who goes on an excursion to visit his five grown children. It is a touching story of a man slowly losing touch with reality and slipping back into the past. The more he finds that his children are not quite telling him the truth about their lives, the more his memories darken and become more sinister. It is a touching yet disturbing tale that keeps you guessing about not only the true lives of the children, but whether or not the father can handle that truth. ... Read more

Description

From Giuseppe Tornatore, director of the Academy Award-winning "Cinema Paradiso," comes this magical fable of an extraordinary man who lives a remarkable life without setting foot on land. Abandoned atop a piano and raised by a lowly crew member in the bowels of a luxurious cruise ship, the boy is dubbed 1900 for the year he was born. As he grows up, he is drawn to the piano and discovers he has an amazing gift for creating music. The prodigy dazzles the passengers, and his reputation spreads around the world, with record producers clamoring to capture his magic. But he refuses to leave the ship to pursue promised fame and fortune. Only when he spots a beautiful girl on board does he become determined to join the outside world and live a normal life. But is that the life he really wants? With a beautiful score by Academy Award nominee Ennio Morricone (Days of Heaven, The Untouchables) and heartfelt performances by Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction, Planet of the Apes) as 1900, Pruitt Taylor Vince (JFK, Wild at Heart) as his trumpet player pal and Clarence Williams III (Purple Rain, Reindeer Games) as jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton, this lyrical, transcendent film will strike a chord in your heart. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

Music Of The Ocean
You probably know Tim Roth from playing bad guys, as in "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction", "Planet of the Apes" --if you didn't notice, he was the bad ape--, or ,even, in "Vatel". Now, watching "The Legend of 1900", you'll be surprised seeing him playing the title role, 1900 -- yes, this is his name-- who is a very melacholic musician.

1900 was found in a ship when was still a baby. Adoped by one of the men who worked in it, he grew up watching people immigrate to America and being greeted by the Statue of Liberty. He is a natural born musician, so he can perfectly play piano, and it starts to call people's attention. So the film follows the life of this man who never leaves the ship. The story is told by one of his band mates.

The script is very fine, balacing some funny moments and some melancholics events. It is impossible to forget the impressive duel between 1900 and the father of the jazz. And Ennio Morricone's score is superb. The music that 1900 'composes' in the very moment a record is being recorded and he falls for a beautiful girl resonated in my mind for days. This piece is deeply touching. Giuseppe Tornatore is, as everybody knows, Italian and he directs the movie with the Italian approach, in other words, it will touch your heart and will make you cry many times.

There is no doubt that Tim Roth is the heart, soul and fingers of the film. Although he does not play piano, he just mimes, it is so good that one may think he is actually playing the songs. Other thing that is not impossible to avoid mentioning is his eyes. They are so deep and expressive. Most of his feelings are expressed by those melancholic pair of eyes. 1900 grabs your heart and, even though being so surreal, he looks so believable that you think you're watching a story very likely to have happened.

I recomend this movie for those who like Italian Cinema, and music as well. I don't think this is the kind of film for everyone, but, surely, it has its audience.

Incredibly well done!
I agree with some other reviews I've read above on how some people criticize this movie too easily. I don't think it's necessary to sit down and watch it with some preconcieved idea as to what to expect, rather than just let the movie and the soundtrack seduce you to it's full extent. I believe Guiseppe Tornatore and Ennio Morricone have put together a film that will be referred back to by many generations. It's one of those films that refuses to age in time. The brilliant performance by Tim Roth in an not-so-usual role brings to life 1900, a character so much within us all, representing what he has to say and do in this world through his magnificent piano-playing, ("A light that shines so bright yet for so little time"...taken from blade runner). I haven't the slightest intention of drawing any conclusion for the reviewer of this movie but if your not into great expectations, you'll probably wind up with more than that at the end of the film. My opinion is that the story didn't necessarily need to take place on an ocean liner, it could have been anywhere where 1900 felt safe and secluded from the bustle of the surrounding world but through his greatness as a pianist, he was always bound for fame and glory as well as his inevitablity. I feel it's important to get this point across to those who feel the need to compare this "insignificant" aspect with the movie "Titanic", yet I would have wished half the musical score in "Titanic" this film has. The main character leaves me with the sensation that he's subconsciously set out the task to leave a mark on this Earth while he's never literally set foot on dry ground and that all of us who have strived in our own lives can relate to easily yet again, he leaves an unfinished task to those who haven't. My advice, get the DVD, listen to the beautiful music and put your thoughts aside, the film will do the rest and you'll surely be wanting to see it more than once!

one of the greatest movies ever made w/o commercial minded
this is one of the most profound movies i've ever viewed. 'red violin' is good but not as good as this one. some of the other great movies that are always on my mind are: "the music teacher", 'somewhere in time'. i'd like to thank to those producers who could put this kind movie into production without putting the big denero boxoffice in mind. otherwise we would never have any chance to have such sublime and profound feelings and opportunity to learn that we do also have some passions revived by such great stories.

A mythical fable
This work of Giuseppe Tornatore is an original issue in the celluloid.
The story tells us about a child born in the middle of the ocean , (so forget about what's his birthplace), that lack of no land human being gives him that mythical character.
The script shows the process of growing up of this boy , who gradually became in the official pianist of that ship called Virginian, (another smart clue) .
The time comes for him , the piano and his intimate friend , the trumpeter are the only friends he has.
All the story is told in third person, before a seller of old musical instruments and musical scores; I mean a true dialogue between two categories of memories ; the emotional and the historical.
In that sense Tornatore signs his directorial prints on his favorite theme: the memory. That's the clever device of Cinema Paradiso.
But the pianist (in a brilliant performing of this underestimated actor of one million carats talent, Tim Rith), refuses in every decisve moment to leave his own country ship; he belongs to it. He was born there and a invisible link ties him: not even the only love , and mighty inspiration motive for his best composition is capable of make leaving his water home.
Beautiful , poetical and amazing tale with multiple laughable sequences, are surrounded by that duty fate of mixing with the ground land .
An unforgettable experience that will reward you from beginning to end.
Don't miss this one.

The Legend of 1900
This is undoubtedly the VERY BEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL movie I have ever seen. It is a movie that, after you have seen it, you can not forget. The story and characters, and music, haunt you, and Tim Roth is unbelievably fabulous. I can not understand why this movie, Tim Roth, and the soundtrack, did not win some major awards because the movie certainly deserved best picture of the year, Tim Roth deserved best actor, and the haunting and very original soundtrack should have also received the top academy award. This movie is even better than Cinema Paridiso, which is also one of my other favorite films. I buy this movie for everyone I really like. Lucky for me that I heard about this movie only on the Netflix website and ordered it. Why did this movie never get the publicity it deserved (that is something that I would like to know from anyone out there who may know)?? ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Stunning Classic
I have seen countless movies and read countless books, and not once I have ever been compelled to write any sort of review for any of them. However, as you may have noticed I have made an exception for this movie, it is a testament to how great I think this movie is.

First of all I urgue you not to read the reviews of this film that give away the ending unless you have already seen the film.

The premise is that a reclusive Author Onof ( Gerad Depardieu ), is being interogated by an unnamed detective ( Roman Polanski) as a possible murder suspect. Through a series of questions the detective finds out Onofs identity as one of the most famous French Authors, in fact, he himself is a huge fan.
THe sequences of events that follow are bizzare, yet wonderfull. The language is pure poetry. And technically speaking the Cinematography and lighting are simply gorgeous.

A bulk of the movie is centered around the Detective questioning Onof, and during this time we learn about his life. These little stories make for some great humanistic moments.

While I dont want to reveal too much, the ending ties in everything, all the loose ends. However, the ending is more than simply that, it has to simply be seen to be appreciated.

My only wish would be that this movie is transfered to DVD. Please someone get this movie transfered to DVD, and with a ton of special features. Even if it has to be Criterion, please make the DVD!!!!!!!!!

Wow!
Una Pura Formalita (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1993)

I have now seen two of Giuseppe Tornatore's films (the other being the brilliant The Legend of 1900), and have decided that I will be hunting the man's work down wherever I can find it. A Pure Formality doesn't have the same mastery of pace that 1900 does, but the good points of the film overwhelm the bad ones to the extent that the viewer is likely not to care if the first half of the movie goes a tad slow.

The film centers around an author named Onoff (Gerard Deaprdieu), who is found wandering in the rain, senseless, in the vicinity of a rural murder. He is taken to the strangest police station this side of Pirandello. The head of the station is out for the moment, and Onoff is able to size up the rest of the oddballs working there before the top dog, played by Roman Polanski, gets back. Then the fun really begins; Onoff has lost pieces of his memory, and while the Inspector tries to figure out if Onoff committed murder, Onoff is busy trying to figure out if he did, too. As a catch, to throw everything off just a tad more: the Inspector is also Onoff's biggest fan, and can quote large passages of his books from memory, something of which Onoff himself is incapable, leading to doubts on the part of everyone involved whether Onoff is really who he thinks he is.

Part mystery, part farce, part existential manifesto, A Pure Formality could easily be relegated to that wasteland of films in this genre summed up by a recent commercial featuring a pardocial art-house classic called Look At My Potato. And for the first forty-five or so minutes of the movie, it teeters on the brink of that sort of senselessness. The staff are alternately obsequious and violent, as is the Inspector, while Onoff is by turns helpful, obstructive, and downright abusive. No one seems to have any motivation or consistency. You'll have to trust me when I say it all works out in the end. And it does, to an amazing degree. The last twenty minutes had me sitting, agape, in utter amazement. Suddenly the whole thing made perfect sense'

Aside from the absolute beauty of the plot's construction, a good deal of praise must be given to Tornatore's use of light, or in this case, the lack of it. The station, never well-lit, plunges into a power outage halfway through the film, and most of the rest (it concludes just after dawn the next morning) is lit by candlelight, leading to an even more claustrophobic feeling. Perfectly appropriate for the subject matter, as the police and Onoff both narrow their searches for the various things they hope to find.

A stunning achievement, and one that most mystery fans will find well worth the effort. ****

Patience has its rewards
Without giving it away, I'd just like to say this is a brilliantly constructed film in all aspects from the acting, to the lighting, and especially to the storyline.

The reward comes as the dawn approaches and the pieces of the story fall into place! A great film!

???????????
Even though I had no clue about what happened in this movie I loved it. I watched it with my fifteen year old brother and at the end of the movie he looked at me and said, "You're smarter than I am, can you tell me what the hell happened?". And to be honest, I was hoping that he could tell me. I usually dislike movies that take place during the night and all in one place but this movie has edge. It's a movie that leaves something to talk about after it's done because it makes you think. Everyone who watches it will have to put the peices together. Even though I got lost (and still am), I would definately recommend this to any one who is tired of predictable endings and would like to see a movie that leaves them asking "WHAT?".

Brilliant film!
Happy to have found this on video. I first saw it on IFC and was amazed. Takes quite film to surprise and enthrall me (I'm the guy who knew the "surprise" ending to "Sixth Sense" five minutes into the movie!), and this is one of them. Cinematically breathtaking, the story is tight, and the acting is superb. I wasn't a big fan of Depardieu's American films, but this must be an example what what the actor is capable of. Brilliant! IMPORTANT... Be cautious when reading some of the other reviews posted on this page... at least one of them spoils the ending! ... Read more

Description

The latest triumph from Giuseppe Tornatore, the writer and director of the Academy Award®-winning CINEMA PARADISO, MALENA is an utterly unforgettable story of a boy's journey into manhood amid the chaos and intolerance of World War II. In a sleepy Italian village, the most beautiful woman in town, Malena (Monica Bellucci), becomes the subject of increasingly malicious gossip among the lustful townsmen and their jealous wives. But only her most ardent admirer, young Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro), will learn the untold true story of the mysterious and elusive Malena! In a captivating motion picture nominated for two Academy Awards, the eventual struggles and hardships that Malena must bravely endure serve to inspire Renato to new heights of compassion, courage, and independence! ... Read more

Reviews (79)

One of the best!
Malena is truly a great film. It works on so many levels. I have a relative who doesn't usually like foreign films but had to admit this is a great one. Its funny, its sad and it has a message. The story of the beautiful Malena is one that is heart-breaking. Malena is a beautiful woman whose husband is fighting in World War II and is left alone in this town. She is subjected to constant rumours and harassment by the men and women in their village.

Renato is the young boy obsessed with her. He is also the only person who knows the truth about her and knows she doesn't do the things people say she does. Malena wasn't dating everyone, she was sewing for people into the night, carrying her husband's picture and dancing to their favorite music. The sad thing is that Malena has to become what everyone had labeled her once word got back that her husband was killed. Women refused to sell her food and she had to sleep with men to survive. There is a scene towards the end that really upset me. This movie shows how rotten both the men and the women were to her. Malena shows how dangerous lies and assumptions are to a person's standing in their community and their own self-respect.

Malena is a very funny movie at times. There are scenes with Renato that made me laugh out loud. However, its a film that goes deeper than many out there. I would have to say this has become one of my all-time favorites. A beautiful, thought-provoking film.

A Beautiful Film
This lovely and heart-wrenching movie was made even more special by the fact that the two main characters barely speak (well, one of them IS the narrator). I had never heard of the beautiful actress Monica Belluci (Malena) but now look forward to seeing her perform again. She was exquisite and spoke volumes with just her facial expressions.

Giuseppe Sulfaro played Renato, a young boy feeling the first stirring of his sexual awakening who falls in love/lust with the beautiful Malena. His acting was very touching, especially when he goes to the church and lights a candle every day to try to ensure that Malena will come to no harm.

This coming of age film about love, jealousy, ostracism, and hate during four tumultuous years of World War II was filmed on the coast of Sicily - and what beautiful cinematography it was. The score was also magnificent, befitting the gorgeous setting.

ETMR - Malena
1. Humanity: The boy Renato, we learn, is a free spirit. He expresses, out of all the characters in the film, the willingness to step outside his natural, cultural boundaries and grow past his traditional philosophy. This film is not only about the life of Malena, but also about Renato's growth into an adult. What events force Renato to grow into this new kind of thinking?

2. Implications: The film shows the evolution of Europe, and the break from traditional values, not only through Renato but through the insanity of the war. In what ways does the movie show a critical eye to the old world?

3. Evolution: In what ways is the movie distinctly European, and yet more in detail, distinctly Italian? Do you think the film is trying to make a general statement on the madness of war, or is it trying to make a visceral attack on the rigidity of Italian traditionalism?

4. Realism: The story premise is interesting: imagine if you had a guardian angel in the form of a young boy, but you never knew he existed... do you think the set-up of the story was meant to describe an actual sequence of events with the boy, or is the movie playing a more important role with symbolism?

5. Stageplay: The script provides for a seedier look at the foundations of Fascist Italy. Do you think what was included was sufficient, do you think it was lacking in raw material, or do you think it contained too much teenage sensuality?

Lopsided film that doesn't have much life
This is a story of an Italian boy who grows a adolescent infatuation with a married woman who is so beautiful that she is horribly gossiped about. Here are the reasons this is a bad film. 1)The film often drifts into the fantasies of the main character(all of them are about Malena). At one point, this is so prevalent you wonder sometimes what's real and not. You also start to wonder why the filmaker did this and I have no real answer except that he couldn't come up with anything else. These dream sequences pull the film away from a grounding reality that the film fails to establish. 2)The title character is almost non-existant as a real character. We see her in real life and in fantasy, but she hardly says anything, or reveals anything about her inner character. This makes her a hollow basis for the film because she is in fact hollow and the character who is infatuated is vacuous as well. 3) The combination of these characteristics makes this film get to its conclusion heavyhandedly and it never feels real even if the results at the time were close to what we see. Dramatically, it's just dumb and vacuous. You wish it were more because you feel that Malena would have something interesting to say, but the filmaker chose not to. These things only approach my biggest gripes with the film. The gossip sequences, which are many, seem flippant and careless, and not the razor-sharped judgement that they would have to be in order to be a real factor in her life, which they are in the film. Sloppy, just sloppy storytelling. How the film ends is also very telling of just how bad this film truly is. He speaks about how he's loved many women, but the one he remembers best is Malena, the ideal that never came to grips with. An ending like this would be good if the film developed a relationship beyond what is in this film. This would be compelling if the protagonist was someone with more of a vocal perspective rather than a visual one. As is, it would have been far more effective to use yet another fantasy to illustrate her historic importance to him, but by then I'm sure that the film would seem incredibly redundant because of the rest of it. If this film had established the strong importance of the difference between fantasy and reality and how the protagonist felt about that it would be better. The film doesn't take this road, however, by putting in the scenes of harsh realism which aren't earned from the deadpan, flippant tone of the rest of the film.

La Bella Bellucci
Titillating, tantalizing, and tragic are just a few adjectives that come to mind...It takes no genius to realize Monica Bellucci is one of the most drop dead gorgeous international beauties of the current cinema. She is the Italian version bonafide beauty of Catherine Zeta Jones ! If that isn't saying much...

Belucci seems to play recurring roles of women in great distress and abuse.She does this so convincingly and makes it look so effortless that she is a rare actress who can say much with her facial expressions and actions without really saying much; It's all in the eyes, baby. Malena is the telling of a 27 year old widow left to fend for herself in a small Italian village after the downfall of her husband during WW2.No one will employ her and the women sell her rotten food;it's cruelty in severe doses for Malena. Her father has disowned her due to false allegations of being the town temptress. Men and boys alike fantasize and want her. The women hate her. In comes a young 12 year old boy named Renato Amoroso who develops an obsessive crush over Malena but guards her and holds vigil from afar. This "crush" is what propels Renato into becoming and maturing into a young man who begins to understand that there is much more to romance and life than just lustful sex. He watches and follows Malena secretly and witnesses the many transformations she goes through to survive in a town that has turned hostile against her simply because of her striking beauty ! All of this will culminate towards an unexpected ending which will leave a strong impression to stay with Renato for the rest of his life!

Cinematography is...well, it's filmed in Italy, what more can I say except stunning panoramic views of the Italian coastline.Plenty of comedic and colorful characters in the beginning. The film starts off with much humor when the viewer is permitted to see into Renato's mind concerning fantasies of farce and romance. But things turn sinister as a town bent on hate begins to enclose on Malena... The film score by Ennio Morricone is extrememly effective, captures the time period and also is very likeable and memorable ! The best surround effects take place during a German air raid over the town. You can also hear great detail in the surrounds of the ocean waves crashing and wind rustling through trees;this transports the viewer to an Italian vacation. The only gripe is that this Miramax dvd version of Malena is missing about 12 to 17 minutes of scenes that were included in the Italian or European release.This was due to more nudity involving Belluci's character and some scenes that raised eyebrows between more explicit sexual fantasies of Renato's. ... Read more

Description

This Miramax Classics presentation of CINEMA PARADISO: THE NEW VERSION brings you the critically acclaimed triumph as never seen before! A famous Italian filmmaker, haunted by the memories of his first love, returns to his hometown after an absence of 30 years.Upon his return, he reconnects with the community and remembers the highlights and tragedies that shaped his life and inspired him to follow his dream of becoming a filmmaker. For those who have never seen it -- and those who have never forgotten it -- director Giuseppe Tornatore's (MALENA, THE STAR MAKER) cherished Academy Award(R)-winning motion picture (1990, Best Foreign Language Film) is now fully restored, digitally remastered, and includes 51 minutes of never-before-seen footage! ... Read more

Reviews (199)

Probably the best movie about loving the movies
Rightfully known as a movie for people who love the movies, "Cinema Paradiso" ("Nuovo cinema Paradiso") is Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 memoir of growing up in a small Sicilian town. A famous film director returns home for the first time in years to attend the funeral of an old man, but this bit of foreshadowing hardly prepares us for the depth of the tale. For the young Salvatore who is called Toto (Salvatore Cascio), the center of the universe is the local cinema and its projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). When we first see them together in the projection booth, Alfredo is editing out the kissing and other inappropriate scenes from a new film under the supervision of the local priest, Father Adelfio (Leopoldo Trieste) who rings a bell every time he finds something objectionable. The good father rings the bell a lot, to the dismay of the local citizens who bemoan the fact they have never seen a kiss on screen. Unlike most films featuring the cute kid and the grumpy old man, "Cinema Paradiso" presents the odd couple as kindred spirits from the very start. They both love the same thing: the movies. Even when the adolescent Salvatore (Marco Leonardi) discovers something else to love besides the movies in the form of a young woman named Elena (Agnese Nano), he is equally devote in his new obsession, standing outside her window for days in the pouring rain to impress her. Of course Salvatore loves not only the Cinema house but Alfredo as well, and when tragedy befalls them both he has to take his place in a new world while hanging on to the old. Finally, Alfredo has to kick Salvatore out of the nest and send him off into the world with the warning never to come back, because Salvatore's dreams will never be realized in the town of his birth. "Cinema Paradiso" is a film that captures both the pain as well as the joy of remembering the past. When the grown Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) opens up the gift left to him by the man who was much more than his father figure, we know immediately exactly what he has received. But that knowledge does not attract from the emotional impact of that glorious final montage.

One of the Best Films of the Last 20 Years
Guiseppe Tornatore's masterpiece proves for once, and for all, that you can indeed go home again. "Cinema Paradiso" is a timeless tribute to family, friendship and love as seen through the eyes of Toto, a filmmaker, who abandons his small town roots in search of that elusive "something more" in life. In a truly universal manner, Toto experiences success, failure, love and emptiness prior to the film's beautiful finale in which life's true meaning becomes clear to him. The childhood relationship between Toto and his father figure Alfredo, a projectionest at the local cinema, is the centerpiece of the film. Their ensuing lifelong friendship is simply priceless. The legendary Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score provides the perfect emotional backdrop . Overall, "Cinema Paradiso" is a stunning film that works on all levels. A word of warning: even the most macho of all macho will have trouble holding back tears during the film's remarkable final 15 minutes. Not to be missed!

Only one word that pops out when watching this: NOSTALGIA!!!
To make it short, this is the one and only movie that makes me cry every time I watch it. It's the kind of movie that melts your heart and keeps you thinking about it for days ahead. Also, I've never heard a soundtrack as beautiful as the one in this movie. It only helps bring out your tears more easily, especially in the last sequence.

A passion for film and filmmaking
I have not seen the "new Director's cut" version, and based on what the other reviewers have been saying, I'm so very glad. This movie has always had a special place in my film heart.

The theme of love has never really been so subtly and wonderfully dramatized. And the love is on so many levels: love for the opposite sex, love for filmmaking, love for family, love for one's hometown, etc. The plot is deceivingly simple and traditional but there are elements that are very unique. What particularly appeals to me isn't just the developing relationships among the main characters, but the relationships going on among the townsfolk. The extras are not anonymous here: all the patrons of the Cinema Paradiso have a slim storyline that are quite amusing. (In one sequence, a young couple are kissing. Next time we see them they're doing something more than just kissing. By the end of the film, they have a family in tow.)

Anyway, the story aside, CINEMA PARADISO is so gorgeously filmed, it's so pleasing to the eye that it's almost unbearable. This is a film for lovers of film and filmmaking.

Stay away from the director's cut
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite movies ever. This review is about the director's cut, it just ruins the whole movie. If you loved the original movie, don't watch this new version.

Cinema Paradiso is mainly a love story. But it's not about the relationship between Toto and Elena, it's about the relationship between Toto and Alfredo. The new version turns the whole move upside down. Not only the plot, but the characters too. Elena becomes the most important part of the story. And the character of Alfredo becomes a completely different person through the eyes of Toto. I don't want to give away anything about the "new" plot. But believe me, the director's cut and it's brand new 51 minutes changes the whole movie into -what a critic said, "mundane soup opera." ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Giuseppe Tornatore's beautiful 1988 film about a little boy's love affair with the movies deservedly won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film and a Special Jury Prize at Cannes. Philippe Noiret plays a grizzled old projectionist who takes pride in his presentation of screen dreams for a town still recovering from World War II. When a child (Jacques Perrin) demonstrates fascination not only for movies but also for the process of showing them to an audience, a lifelong friendship is struck. This isn't just one of those films for people who are already in love with the cinema. But if you are one of those folks, the emotional resonance between the action in Tornatore's world and the images on Noiret's screen will seem all the greater--and the finale all the more powerful. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (199)

Probably the best movie about loving the movies
Rightfully known as a movie for people who love the movies, "Cinema Paradiso" ("Nuovo cinema Paradiso") is Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 memoir of growing up in a small Sicilian town. A famous film director returns home for the first time in years to attend the funeral of an old man, but this bit of foreshadowing hardly prepares us for the depth of the tale. For the young Salvatore who is called Toto (Salvatore Cascio), the center of the universe is the local cinema and its projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). When we first see them together in the projection booth, Alfredo is editing out the kissing and other inappropriate scenes from a new film under the supervision of the local priest, Father Adelfio (Leopoldo Trieste) who rings a bell every time he finds something objectionable. The good father rings the bell a lot, to the dismay of the local citizens who bemoan the fact they have never seen a kiss on screen. Unlike most films featuring the cute kid and the grumpy old man, "Cinema Paradiso" presents the odd couple as kindred spirits from the very start. They both love the same thing: the movies. Even when the adolescent Salvatore (Marco Leonardi) discovers something else to love besides the movies in the form of a young woman named Elena (Agnese Nano), he is equally devote in his new obsession, standing outside her window for days in the pouring rain to impress her. Of course Salvatore loves not only the Cinema house but Alfredo as well, and when tragedy befalls them both he has to take his place in a new world while hanging on to the old. Finally, Alfredo has to kick Salvatore out of the nest and send him off into the world with the warning never to come back, because Salvatore's dreams will never be realized in the town of his birth. "Cinema Paradiso" is a film that captures both the pain as well as the joy of remembering the past. When the grown Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) opens up the gift left to him by the man who was much more than his father figure, we know immediately exactly what he has received. But that knowledge does not attract from the emotional impact of that glorious final montage.

One of the Best Films of the Last 20 Years
Guiseppe Tornatore's masterpiece proves for once, and for all, that you can indeed go home again. "Cinema Paradiso" is a timeless tribute to family, friendship and love as seen through the eyes of Toto, a filmmaker, who abandons his small town roots in search of that elusive "something more" in life. In a truly universal manner, Toto experiences success, failure, love and emptiness prior to the film's beautiful finale in which life's true meaning becomes clear to him. The childhood relationship between Toto and his father figure Alfredo, a projectionest at the local cinema, is the centerpiece of the film. Their ensuing lifelong friendship is simply priceless. The legendary Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score provides the perfect emotional backdrop . Overall, "Cinema Paradiso" is a stunning film that works on all levels. A word of warning: even the most macho of all macho will have trouble holding back tears during the film's remarkable final 15 minutes. Not to be missed!

Only one word that pops out when watching this: NOSTALGIA!!!
To make it short, this is the one and only movie that makes me cry every time I watch it. It's the kind of movie that melts your heart and keeps you thinking about it for days ahead. Also, I've never heard a soundtrack as beautiful as the one in this movie. It only helps bring out your tears more easily, especially in the last sequence.

A passion for film and filmmaking
I have not seen the "new Director's cut" version, and based on what the other reviewers have been saying, I'm so very glad. This movie has always had a special place in my film heart.

The theme of love has never really been so subtly and wonderfully dramatized. And the love is on so many levels: love for the opposite sex, love for filmmaking, love for family, love for one's hometown, etc. The plot is deceivingly simple and traditional but there are elements that are very unique. What particularly appeals to me isn't just the developing relationships among the main characters, but the relationships going on among the townsfolk. The extras are not anonymous here: all the patrons of the Cinema Paradiso have a slim storyline that are quite amusing. (In one sequence, a young couple are kissing. Next time we see them they're doing something more than just kissing. By the end of the film, they have a family in tow.)

Anyway, the story aside, CINEMA PARADISO is so gorgeously filmed, it's so pleasing to the eye that it's almost unbearable. This is a film for lovers of film and filmmaking.

Stay away from the director's cut
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite movies ever. This review is about the director's cut, it just ruins the whole movie. If you loved the original movie, don't watch this new version.

Cinema Paradiso is mainly a love story. But it's not about the relationship between Toto and Elena, it's about the relationship between Toto and Alfredo. The new version turns the whole move upside down. Not only the plot, but the characters too. Elena becomes the most important part of the story. And the character of Alfredo becomes a completely different person through the eyes of Toto. I don't want to give away anything about the "new" plot. But believe me, the director's cut and it's brand new 51 minutes changes the whole movie into -what a critic said, "mundane soup opera." ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Sobering portrait of 1940s Sicily
It didn't surprise me that few Americans appreciated this film. Unless you know something about Sicily or have traveled there, you might not appreciate the full scope of this film, which is understandable -- but still, it is a fantastic and highly original movie that stands easily on its own merits.

Set in the late 1940s or early 1950s, the story revolves around Morelli, a conman from Rome who steals a truck, camera, and discarded film from the movie company he works for and drives down to Sicily. Posing as "Dr. Morelli", the conman (played by Sergio Castellitto) convinces whole towns of ordinary Sicilians that he is really a talent agent scouting out new genius in the poverty-stricken island of he south. He could have stepped out of the dream world of the circus. Charging 1,500 lire for a chance to pose before his camera and take a stab at making it as an actor, Morelli offers these Sicilians a chance of fame and fortune in the glitzy world of Rome and America that also means an opportunity to escape the impoverishment of their homeland.

In incredible scene after incredible scene (made even better by a phenomenally good screenplay), Morelli gets these Sicilians to open up. Although they aren't actually being filmed (they don't realize that the film Morelli is using is junk), they think this may be their chance to break into acting, so they spill out their inner worries and life stories as though they were talking in front of a psychiatrist. What results is not only a panoramic and extremely original portrayal of the Sicilian people (including the mafia, bandits, an old Spanish Republican, a 112-year-old Garibaldino, a harassed homosexual, and a beautiful but naive teenage girl whom Morelli falls in love with). It is also a blisteringly sharp attack on the causes of backwardness in Sicily (which still exists today), as well as the sneering attitude of many northern Italians toward the South. While he initially took them to be just "idiotic rednecks" ripe to be ripped off, Morelli slowly discovers the Sicilians' humanity without this film being in any way a quaint or "cutesy" portrayal of how a man discovered the natives in "quaint, sun-baked Italian villages".

"The Star Maker" is full of humor as well as tragedy. As the great Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia wrote, humor is a staple of life in Sicily as in few other places -- it has to be in order for survival to go on. Moreover, unlike the stereotypical Hollywood portrayals of Sicily in "The Godfather" movies, "The Star Maker" has a very profound social message. As the girl, Beata, says at the end of the film, "I like movies with a happy ending, where lovers kiss in each other's arms". Unfortunately, in Sicily, a happy ending just would not tell the entire story.

I was flabbergasted and sobered by this film. I was even more flabbergasted by its lame critical reception in the United States and by reviewers at Amazon.com. If moviegoers in this country go on thinking that "Legally Blonde" is the supreme height of cinematic achievement, I really think we're going to go totally brain-dead. Five stars.

A disappointing, dispassionate follow-up, not a total loss
I picked up this movie for the same reason as most of you. It was directed by the man who brought us Cinema Paradiso. That film is probably one of a kind, never have I seen a filn that showed film-making as the art it truly is, and the profound effect it has on it's viewers. But if anyone could produce a film that was equal to Cinema Paradiso I was sure it would be the director himself. Sadly, this is not the case. I am well aware that the intent of the star maker was to present "the flip-side of "Cinema Paradiso." For the most part it did that well. But why do it at all? How can a man who once so elequently illustrated the power of film, and the incredible impact it has on the life of the audience turn around and make a film that is so detached and dispassionate? Not only is Turnatore detached and dispassionate but he serves up not a satire, which would have been perfectly acceptable but rather a biting indictment of the medium that we thought he so loved. Perhaps the indictment is not of film-making, but of the over-commercialization of the art-form. The way that film-making can turn into more of a business than an art-form. Maybe Turnatore is trying to show the evil magnetism of the prospect of fame. And how those promises of fame can corrupt both those who seek it and the movies themselves. Turnatore effectively shows us that sometimes the very thing that drew the little boy to the bright lights of the Cinema Paradiso can lead others to their downfall. I guess that is something I just can't bear to hear, especially not from the creator of Cinema Paradiso......

did we even see the whole movie?
I LOVE tornatore, I liked this film. i think anyone who loves seeing italy and italian culture should add a star too. that being said, i wonder, how much of this film did we see? the box does, as a reviewer pointed out, feature a ruby-lipped woman that just does not sell this movie for what it is. but what gets me, is there are three pictures on the back, and two of them arent in the film!
i know that every copy other than the italian original and the korean version of "Malena" (highly reccommended for tornatore fans) were shortened by 11 minutes by miramax.. perhaps there was too much sex in the film for american censure; perhaps now there's not emough character development in the movie to completely fall in love with it. the other reviewers hit the nail on the head about the sobering effect of witnessing people expose their lives for the chance at fame, but either way, before the cutting room floor or after, there's something missing from the main character of this film. if any of you know where it is please tell me.

WARNING: This is not a charming film.
No, this is not a chic little euro-comedy like the picture on the front cover might suggest, or a charming new bent on "The Music Man" as implied by the plot outlined on the dvd box. In fact, it isn't funny or romantic at all.

That said, like "The Music Man," this is also the story of a con man. He travels from town to town, promising to make people stars, taking their money, auditioning them for star quality, advising them on how to make themselves more appealing, then going along his merry way. But in this case, he devirginizes your underage daughter, steals your wife's jewelry, then charges you for telling you that your nose is too big for the Hollywood screen. (Well, perhaps that all didn't happen, but it just as well could have with the inscrupulous nature of the film's antihero.)

The interesting and sad aspect of the story, and what should have been advertised about the film, is its demomstration of how people, desperately in need of hope in a time a great depression, will allow themselves to be fooled into believing anything to keep their hopes alive - even if it means buying the dreams spun by a corrupt "Star Maker."

It's a good film, but be warned, it is sobering, not lovely.

Gentle insight into an unfamiliar place and time.
Netflix describes this movie: "This Oscar-nominated film follows a self-described talent scout as he travels the back roads of Sicily. Armed with a camera, he sells screen tests to poor village folk, who are only too eager to fall for the promise of movie stardom. Men, women and children swarm to him, turning their tests into confessions that are tragic, comic, rhapsodic and revealing. But the gambit takes an unexpected turn when 18-year-old orphan Beata enters the picture..."

The premise is odd, but it's played out in a marvelously quirky fashion. The lead actor has a face that reacts subtly but completely to everyone around him, while the scenery and supporting cast are Sicily personified. The action and plot move gently as befits the time and place. Definitely worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

One of the best!
Malena is truly a great film. It works on so many levels. I have a relative who doesn't usually like foreign films but had to admit this is a great one. Its funny, its sad and it has a message. The story of the beautiful Malena is one that is heart-breaking. Malena is a beautiful woman whose husband is fighting in World War II and is left alone in this town. She is subjected to constant rumours and harassment by the men and women in their village.

Renato is the young boy obsessed with her. He is also the only person who knows the truth about her and knows she doesn't do the things people say she does. Malena wasn't dating everyone, she was sewing for people into the night, carrying her husband's picture and dancing to their favorite music. The sad thing is that Malena has to become what everyone had labeled her once word got back that her husband was killed. Women refused to sell her food and she had to sleep with men to survive. There is a scene towards the end that really upset me. This movie shows how rotten both the men and the women were to her. Malena shows how dangerous lies and assumptions are to a person's standing in their community and their own self-respect.

Malena is a very funny movie at times. There are scenes with Renato that made me laugh out loud. However, its a film that goes deeper than many out there. I would have to say this has become one of my all-time favorites. A beautiful, thought-provoking film.

A Beautiful Film
This lovely and heart-wrenching movie was made even more special by the fact that the two main characters barely speak (well, one of them IS the narrator). I had never heard of the beautiful actress Monica Belluci (Malena) but now look forward to seeing her perform again. She was exquisite and spoke volumes with just her facial expressions.

Giuseppe Sulfaro played Renato, a young boy feeling the first stirring of his sexual awakening who falls in love/lust with the beautiful Malena. His acting was very touching, especially when he goes to the church and lights a candle every day to try to ensure that Malena will come to no harm.

This coming of age film about love, jealousy, ostracism, and hate during four tumultuous years of World War II was filmed on the coast of Sicily - and what beautiful cinematography it was. The score was also magnificent, befitting the gorgeous setting.

ETMR - Malena
1. Humanity: The boy Renato, we learn, is a free spirit. He expresses, out of all the characters in the film, the willingness to step outside his natural, cultural boundaries and grow past his traditional philosophy. This film is not only about the life of Malena, but also about Renato's growth into an adult. What events force Renato to grow into this new kind of thinking?

2. Implications: The film shows the evolution of Europe, and the break from traditional values, not only through Renato but through the insanity of the war. In what ways does the movie show a critical eye to the old world?

3. Evolution: In what ways is the movie distinctly European, and yet more in detail, distinctly Italian? Do you think the film is trying to make a general statement on the madness of war, or is it trying to make a visceral attack on the rigidity of Italian traditionalism?

4. Realism: The story premise is interesting: imagine if you had a guardian angel in the form of a young boy, but you never knew he existed... do you think the set-up of the story was meant to describe an actual sequence of events with the boy, or is the movie playing a more important role with symbolism?

5. Stageplay: The script provides for a seedier look at the foundations of Fascist Italy. Do you think what was included was sufficient, do you think it was lacking in raw material, or do you think it contained too much teenage sensuality?

Lopsided film that doesn't have much life
This is a story of an Italian boy who grows a adolescent infatuation with a married woman who is so beautiful that she is horribly gossiped about. Here are the reasons this is a bad film. 1)The film often drifts into the fantasies of the main character(all of them are about Malena). At one point, this is so prevalent you wonder sometimes what's real and not. You also start to wonder why the filmaker did this and I have no real answer except that he couldn't come up with anything else. These dream sequences pull the film away from a grounding reality that the film fails to establish. 2)The title character is almost non-existant as a real character. We see her in real life and in fantasy, but she hardly says anything, or reveals anything about her inner character. This makes her a hollow basis for the film because she is in fact hollow and the character who is infatuated is vacuous as well. 3) The combination of these characteristics makes this film get to its conclusion heavyhandedly and it never feels real even if the results at the time were close to what we see. Dramatically, it's just dumb and vacuous. You wish it were more because you feel that Malena would have something interesting to say, but the filmaker chose not to. These things only approach my biggest gripes with the film. The gossip sequences, which are many, seem flippant and careless, and not the razor-sharped judgement that they would have to be in order to be a real factor in her life, which they are in the film. Sloppy, just sloppy storytelling. How the film ends is also very telling of just how bad this film truly is. He speaks about how he's loved many women, but the one he remembers best is Malena, the ideal that never came to grips with. An ending like this would be good if the film developed a relationship beyond what is in this film. This would be compelling if the protagonist was someone with more of a vocal perspective rather than a visual one. As is, it would have been far more effective to use yet another fantasy to illustrate her historic importance to him, but by then I'm sure that the film would seem incredibly redundant because of the rest of it. If this film had established the strong importance of the difference between fantasy and reality and how the protagonist felt about that it would be better. The film doesn't take this road, however, by putting in the scenes of harsh realism which aren't earned from the deadpan, flippant tone of the rest of the film.

La Bella Bellucci
Titillating, tantalizing, and tragic are just a few adjectives that come to mind...It takes no genius to realize Monica Bellucci is one of the most drop dead gorgeous international beauties of the current cinema. She is the Italian version bonafide beauty of Catherine Zeta Jones ! If that isn't saying much...

Belucci seems to play recurring roles of women in great distress and abuse.She does this so convincingly and makes it look so effortless that she is a rare actress who can say much with her facial expressions and actions without really saying much; It's all in the eyes, baby. Malena is the telling of a 27 year old widow left to fend for herself in a small Italian village after the downfall of her husband during WW2.No one will employ her and the women sell her rotten food;it's cruelty in severe doses for Malena. Her father has disowned her due to false allegations of being the town temptress. Men and boys alike fantasize and want her. The women hate her. In comes a young 12 year old boy named Renato Amoroso who develops an obsessive crush over Malena but guards her and holds vigil from afar. This "crush" is what propels Renato into becoming and maturing into a young man who begins to understand that there is much more to romance and life than just lustful sex. He watches and follows Malena secretly and witnesses the many transformations she goes through to survive in a town that has turned hostile against her simply because of her striking beauty ! All of this will culminate towards an unexpected ending which will leave a strong impression to stay with Renato for the rest of his life!

Cinematography is...well, it's filmed in Italy, what more can I say except stunning panoramic views of the Italian coastline.Plenty of comedic and colorful characters in the beginning. The film starts off with much humor when the viewer is permitted to see into Renato's mind concerning fantasies of farce and romance. But things turn sinister as a town bent on hate begins to enclose on Malena... The film score by Ennio Morricone is extrememly effective, captures the time period and also is very likeable and memorable ! The best surround effects take place during a German air raid over the town. You can also hear great detail in the surrounds of the ocean waves crashing and wind rustling through trees;this transports the viewer to an Italian vacation. The only gripe is that this Miramax dvd version of Malena is missing about 12 to 17 minutes of scenes that were included in the Italian or European release.This was due to more nudity involving Belluci's character and some scenes that raised eyebrows between more explicit sexual fantasies of Renato's. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

One of the best!
Malena is truly a great film. It works on so many levels. I have a relative who doesn't usually like foreign films but had to admit this is a great one. Its funny, its sad and it has a message. The story of the beautiful Malena is one that is heart-breaking. Malena is a beautiful woman whose husband is fighting in World War II and is left alone in this town. She is subjected to constant rumours and harassment by the men and women in their village.

Renato is the young boy obsessed with her. He is also the only person who knows the truth about her and knows she doesn't do the things people say she does. Malena wasn't dating everyone, she was sewing for people into the night, carrying her husband's picture and dancing to their favorite music. The sad thing is that Malena has to become what everyone had labeled her once word got back that her husband was killed. Women refused to sell her food and she had to sleep with men to survive. There is a scene towards the end that really upset me. This movie shows how rotten both the men and the women were to her. Malena shows how dangerous lies and assumptions are to a person's standing in their community and their own self-respect.

Malena is a very funny movie at times. There are scenes with Renato that made me laugh out loud. However, its a film that goes deeper than many out there. I would have to say this has become one of my all-time favorites. A beautiful, thought-provoking film.

A Beautiful Film
This lovely and heart-wrenching movie was made even more special by the fact that the two main characters barely speak (well, one of them IS the narrator). I had never heard of the beautiful actress Monica Belluci (Malena) but now look forward to seeing her perform again. She was exquisite and spoke volumes with just her facial expressions.

Giuseppe Sulfaro played Renato, a young boy feeling the first stirring of his sexual awakening who falls in love/lust with the beautiful Malena. His acting was very touching, especially when he goes to the church and lights a candle every day to try to ensure that Malena will come to no harm.

This coming of age film about love, jealousy, ostracism, and hate during four tumultuous years of World War II was filmed on the coast of Sicily - and what beautiful cinematography it was. The score was also magnificent, befitting the gorgeous setting.

ETMR - Malena
1. Humanity: The boy Renato, we learn, is a free spirit. He expresses, out of all the characters in the film, the willingness to step outside his natural, cultural boundaries and grow past his traditional philosophy. This film is not only about the life of Malena, but also about Renato's growth into an adult. What events force Renato to grow into this new kind of thinking?

2. Implications: The film shows the evolution of Europe, and the break from traditional values, not only through Renato but through the insanity of the war. In what ways does the movie show a critical eye to the old world?

3. Evolution: In what ways is the movie distinctly European, and yet more in detail, distinctly Italian? Do you think the film is trying to make a general statement on the madness of war, or is it trying to make a visceral attack on the rigidity of Italian traditionalism?

4. Realism: The story premise is interesting: imagine if you had a guardian angel in the form of a young boy, but you never knew he existed... do you think the set-up of the story was meant to describe an actual sequence of events with the boy, or is the movie playing a more important role with symbolism?

5. Stageplay: The script provides for a seedier look at the foundations of Fascist Italy. Do you think what was included was sufficient, do you think it was lacking in raw material, or do you think it contained too much teenage sensuality?

Lopsided film that doesn't have much life
This is a story of an Italian boy who grows a adolescent infatuation with a married woman who is so beautiful that she is horribly gossiped about. Here are the reasons this is a bad film. 1)The film often drifts into the fantasies of the main character(all of them are about Malena). At one point, this is so prevalent you wonder sometimes what's real and not. You also start to wonder why the filmaker did this and I have no real answer except that he couldn't come up with anything else. These dream sequences pull the film away from a grounding reality that the film fails to establish. 2)The title character is almost non-existant as a real character. We see her in real life and in fantasy, but she hardly says anything, or reveals anything about her inner character. This makes her a hollow basis for the film because she is in fact hollow and the character who is infatuated is vacuous as well. 3) The combination of these characteristics makes this film get to its conclusion heavyhandedly and it never feels real even if the results at the time were close to what we see. Dramatically, it's just dumb and vacuous. You wish it were more because you feel that Malena would have something interesting to say, but the filmaker chose not to. These things only approach my biggest gripes with the film. The gossip sequences, which are many, seem flippant and careless, and not the razor-sharped judgement that they would have to be in order to be a real factor in her life, which they are in the film. Sloppy, just sloppy storytelling. How the film ends is also very telling of just how bad this film truly is. He speaks about how he's loved many women, but the one he remembers best is Malena, the ideal that never came to grips with. An ending like this would be good if the film developed a relationship beyond what is in this film. This would be compelling if the protagonist was someone with more of a vocal perspective rather than a visual one. As is, it would have been far more effective to use yet another fantasy to illustrate her historic importance to him, but by then I'm sure that the film would seem incredibly redundant because of the rest of it. If this film had established the strong importance of the difference between fantasy and reality and how the protagonist felt about that it would be better. The film doesn't take this road, however, by putting in the scenes of harsh realism which aren't earned from the deadpan, flippant tone of the rest of the film.

La Bella Bellucci
Titillating, tantalizing, and tragic are just a few adjectives that come to mind...It takes no genius to realize Monica Bellucci is one of the most drop dead gorgeous international beauties of the current cinema. She is the Italian version bonafide beauty of Catherine Zeta Jones ! If that isn't saying much...

Belucci seems to play recurring roles of women in great distress and abuse.She does this so convincingly and makes it look so effortless that she is a rare actress who can say much with her facial expressions and actions without really saying much; It's all in the eyes, baby. Malena is the telling of a 27 year old widow left to fend for herself in a small Italian village after the downfall of her husband during WW2.No one will employ her and the women sell her rotten food;it's cruelty in severe doses for Malena. Her father has disowned her due to false allegations of being the town temptress. Men and boys alike fantasize and want her. The women hate her. In comes a young 12 year old boy named Renato Amoroso who develops an obsessive crush over Malena but guards her and holds vigil from afar. This "crush" is what propels Renato into becoming and maturing into a young man who begins to understand that there is much more to romance and life than just lustful sex. He watches and follows Malena secretly and witnesses the many transformations she goes through to survive in a town that has turned hostile against her simply because of her striking beauty ! All of this will culminate towards an unexpected ending which will leave a strong impression to stay with Renato for the rest of his life!

Cinematography is...well, it's filmed in Italy, what more can I say except stunning panoramic views of the Italian coastline.Plenty of comedic and colorful characters in the beginning. The film starts off with much humor when the viewer is permitted to see into Renato's mind concerning fantasies of farce and romance. But things turn sinister as a town bent on hate begins to enclose on Malena... The film score by Ennio Morricone is extrememly effective, captures the time period and also is very likeable and memorable ! The best surround effects take place during a German air raid over the town. You can also hear great detail in the surrounds of the ocean waves crashing and wind rustling through trees;this transports the viewer to an Italian vacation. The only gripe is that this Miramax dvd version of Malena is missing about 12 to 17 minutes of scenes that were included in the Italian or European release.This was due to more nudity involving Belluci's character and some scenes that raised eyebrows between more explicit sexual fantasies of Renato's. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

One of the best!
Malena is truly a great film. It works on so many levels. I have a relative who doesn't usually like foreign films but had to admit this is a great one. Its funny, its sad and it has a message. The story of the beautiful Malena is one that is heart-breaking. Malena is a beautiful woman whose husband is fighting in World War II and is left alone in this town. She is subjected to constant rumours and harassment by the men and women in their village.

Renato is the young boy obsessed with her. He is also the only person who knows the truth about her and knows she doesn't do the things people say she does. Malena wasn't dating everyone, she was sewing for people into the night, carrying her husband's picture and dancing to their favorite music. The sad thing is that Malena has to become what everyone had labeled her once word got back that her husband was killed. Women refused to sell her food and she had to sleep with men to survive. There is a scene towards the end that really upset me. This movie shows how rotten both the men and the women were to her. Malena shows how dangerous lies and assumptions are to a person's standing in their community and their own self-respect.

Malena is a very funny movie at times. There are scenes with Renato that made me laugh out loud. However, its a film that goes deeper than many out there. I would have to say this has become one of my all-time favorites. A beautiful, thought-provoking film.

A Beautiful Film
This lovely and heart-wrenching movie was made even more special by the fact that the two main characters barely speak (well, one of them IS the narrator). I had never heard of the beautiful actress Monica Belluci (Malena) but now look forward to seeing her perform again. She was exquisite and spoke volumes with just her facial expressions.

Giuseppe Sulfaro played Renato, a young boy feeling the first stirring of his sexual awakening who falls in love/lust with the beautiful Malena. His acting was very touching, especially when he goes to the church and lights a candle every day to try to ensure that Malena will come to no harm.

This coming of age film about love, jealousy, ostracism, and hate during four tumultuous years of World War II was filmed on the coast of Sicily - and what beautiful cinematography it was. The score was also magnificent, befitting the gorgeous setting.

ETMR - Malena
1. Humanity: The boy Renato, we learn, is a free spirit. He expresses, out of all the characters in the film, the willingness to step outside his natural, cultural boundaries and grow past his traditional philosophy. This film is not only about the life of Malena, but also about Renato's growth into an adult. What events force Renato to grow into this new kind of thinking?

2. Implications: The film shows the evolution of Europe, and the break from traditional values, not only through Renato but through the insanity of the war. In what ways does the movie show a critical eye to the old world?

3. Evolution: In what ways is the movie distinctly European, and yet more in detail, distinctly Italian? Do you think the film is trying to make a general statement on the madness of war, or is it trying to make a visceral attack on the rigidity of Italian traditionalism?

4. Realism: The story premise is interesting: imagine if you had a guardian angel in the form of a young boy, but you never knew he existed... do you think the set-up of the story was meant to describe an actual sequence of events with the boy, or is the movie playing a more important role with symbolism?

5. Stageplay: The script provides for a seedier look at the foundations of Fascist Italy. Do you think what was included was sufficient, do you think it was lacking in raw material, or do you think it contained too much teenage sensuality?

Lopsided film that doesn't have much life
This is a story of an Italian boy who grows a adolescent infatuation with a married woman who is so beautiful that she is horribly gossiped about. Here are the reasons this is a bad film. 1)The film often drifts into the fantasies of the main character(all of them are about Malena). At one point, this is so prevalent you wonder sometimes what's real and not. You also start to wonder why the filmaker did this and I have no real answer except that he couldn't come up with anything else. These dream sequences pull the film away from a grounding reality that the film fails to establish. 2)The title character is almost non-existant as a real character. We see her in real life and in fantasy, but she hardly says anything, or reveals anything about her inner character. This makes her a hollow basis for the film because she is in fact hollow and the character who is infatuated is vacuous as well. 3) The combination of these characteristics makes this film get to its conclusion heavyhandedly and it never feels real even if the results at the time were close to what we see. Dramatically, it's just dumb and vacuous. You wish it were more because you feel that Malena would have something interesting to say, but the filmaker chose not to. These things only approach my biggest gripes with the film. The gossip sequences, which are many, seem flippant and careless, and not the razor-sharped judgement that they would have to be in order to be a real factor in her life, which they are in the film. Sloppy, just sloppy storytelling. How the film ends is also very telling of just how bad this film truly is. He speaks about how he's loved many women, but the one he remembers best is Malena, the ideal that never came to grips with. An ending like this would be good if the film developed a relationship beyond what is in this film. This would be compelling if the protagonist was someone with more of a vocal perspective rather than a visual one. As is, it would have been far more effective to use yet another fantasy to illustrate her historic importance to him, but by then I'm sure that the film would seem incredibly redundant because of the rest of it. If this film had established the strong importance of the difference between fantasy and reality and how the protagonist felt about that it would be better. The film doesn't take this road, however, by putting in the scenes of harsh realism which aren't earned from the deadpan, flippant tone of the rest of the film.

La Bella Bellucci
Titillating, tantalizing, and tragic are just a few adjectives that come to mind...It takes no genius to realize Monica Bellucci is one of the most drop dead gorgeous international beauties of the current cinema. She is the Italian version bonafide beauty of Catherine Zeta Jones ! If that isn't saying much...

Belucci seems to play recurring roles of women in great distress and abuse.She does this so convincingly and makes it look so effortless that she is a rare actress who can say much with her facial expressions and actions without really saying much; It's all in the eyes, baby. Malena is the telling of a 27 year old widow left to fend for herself in a small Italian village after the downfall of her husband during WW2.No one will employ her and the women sell her rotten food;it's cruelty in severe doses for Malena. Her father has disowned her due to false allegations of being the town temptress. Men and boys alike fantasize and want her. The women hate her. In comes a young 12 year old boy named Renato Amoroso who develops an obsessive crush over Malena but guards her and holds vigil from afar. This "crush" is what propels Renato into becoming and maturing into a young man who begins to understand that there is much more to romance and life than just lustful sex. He watches and follows Malena secretly and witnesses the many transformations she goes through to survive in a town that has turned hostile against her simply because of her striking beauty ! All of this will culminate towards an unexpected ending which will leave a strong impression to stay with Renato for the rest of his life!

Cinematography is...well, it's filmed in Italy, what more can I say except stunning panoramic views of the Italian coastline.Plenty of comedic and colorful characters in the beginning. The film starts off with much humor when the viewer is permitted to see into Renato's mind concerning fantasies of farce and romance. But things turn sinister as a town bent on hate begins to enclose on Malena... The film score by Ennio Morricone is extrememly effective, captures the time period and also is very likeable and memorable ! The best surround effects take place during a German air raid over the town. You can also hear great detail in the surrounds of the ocean waves crashing and wind rustling through trees;this transports the viewer to an Italian vacation. The only gripe is that this Miramax dvd version of Malena is missing about 12 to 17 minutes of scenes that were included in the Italian or European release.This was due to more nudity involving Belluci's character and some scenes that raised eyebrows between more explicit sexual fantasies of Renato's. ... Read more