Stranizza d'amuri

The movie features a talented cast, this film is powerful and moving portrayal of the struggles of two teenage boys who fall in love in a conservative and prejudiced society. This movie needs to be praised for its stunning cinematography, strong performances, and emotional impact. This film has had a significant impact on audiences, with many praising its beautiful visuals, powerful story, and emotional impact. I love also for it's attention to detail, creating complex characters and situations that speak to a specific time and place while also resonating strongly today.

Overall,"Fireworks" (2023) is a searing and beautifully made film that is a must-see for anyone who loves powerful and emotional stories. Gabriele Pizzurro your my new crush!

As a Sicilian origins I knew the story but I didn't expect to watch such a finest way to describe it.

This movie it's absolutely well made.

I got immediately in "nostalgia" mood from the first. Everything is well cured, photography, sound, light, costume, words, gestures, expressions. I could almost smell the tomato sauce, the coeffee on the table, the dry grass in the summer, the cicadas, the smell of the fireworks, even if the "carne simmenthal" with the lemon... Yes, it was really hard to watch the story, no easy/cheesy tears or stereotypes as you can expect but the movie gives to you a kick in the stomach, given by the ignorance, the lack of empathy and cruelty of the disgraced human being...and lot of anger.

For this reason the story its not only about homofoby.

Even if the direction seems to be quite light, silence, untold words, I can see the contrast with the real drama that seems coming from the narrative of Giovanni Verga, verist, realist, humble, pure and cruel as life unfortunately can be.

Beside all there's a delicate touch of innocence, a smile, a look, a "stolen kiss" and lot of silence full of meanings and understanding.

..."Quello che si fa di nascosto si può fare per cent'anni"...but shouldn't be like that!

Maybe honesty is the basic virtue of this film about teenagers, their love, about Sicily and answers to what can not be accepted .

It is a film of details, landscapes, people, tastes, colors, forms of seduction and intimancy.

And , in same measure, it is an admirable expression of freshness , from acting to dialogue, from the moments of pure happiness to clashes in so many senses.

A true story sounds, foer many reasons, a good kick to see it. But Stranizza d amuri has the precious gift to be an universal story, out of gay case, out of a place from Europe, out of cliches or melodrama.

In many senses, a simple confession about love, people and rules of a land.

Humankind is not fit for any redemption, no not even in a million years. We are jealous, greedy, nasty and just can't see another person happy. Gianni and Nino just two beautiful souls, will be together in each others arms, remembering their eternal pure love. It was heartfelt that Gianni was never treated the way he was or the way Nino was. Beautiful film so naturally played out and they have made this their own story. No one could have played it better. I was in tears in the end and wish more maturity among parents and civilization to let live and give space for love to flourish. Ah what a pity the civilization rides to oblivion without a heart.

AUTHENTIC CHRONICLE OF A FATEFUL LOVE AFFAIR OF YESTERDAY IN THE PRESENT TIME

Italy doesn't currently stand out on the global independent scene (much less the LGBT+ scene), and that's a shame, since, along with the French, they were the pioneers of independent cinema. They have a rich and abundant history of works, many of which are cult titles around the world. But here we have perhaps a future cult work. I hope I'm not mistaken.

We have a film based on real events, about a love affair that began in the last century, in the early 1980s, where its characters wander through a town in southern Italy (which still stands out for its prominent conservatism today), going back and forth between circumstances that anyone could easily identify with. The plot itself, while widely touched upon in independent cinema (and practically a standard) with thousands of films that have already addressed this subject of first love, here the optics and perspective are totally different from other films with similar plots.

There are no stereotypes here. And if there are any, they are minimal and necessary for the work. The director (as far as I know, this is his debut film) was quite emphatic in showing us the somewhat atypical perspective of the characters, never overstepping or focusing on those who, narrowly, attack, and this is so evident even in the most tense scenes. This treatment is subtle, as if this film were a powerful denunciation of the hypocrisy of Italian society at that time (and which still persists in various places in Italy) and, why not, in Europe and the world. A kind of protest film, albeit sweetly crafted so that the casual viewer wouldn't be scared or bored, although its pace is somewhat slow, it was necessary because the director wanted to take the time to show, with the patience of a monk, the daily lives of his protagonists. This was so evident at the end. It seems you have to guess what happened or assume it. Or better yet, investigate the real case on which the film was based (interestingly, its director is originally from Sicily, where the events actually occurred).

The performances were sublime. From what I could see, the actors are natural. This gives it a unique and unrepeatable tone of spontaneity. This, combined with the excellent production, direction, and stunning photography (as if a nod to the Argentine scene, so distinctive for its rich photography), makes this film a modern gem, which hopefully will elevate Italian cinema to the status it once held. There are examples.

Perhaps if this film were made during the same time as the legendary and controversial Pier Paulo Pasolini, the consequences would be similar to those of the director of this film. Perhaps with that precedent, he shows off a delicate and well-crafted film to, as I already mentioned, make a subtle but powerful protest against this hypocritical society that condemns plausible things but ignores more worrying facts.

If you're looking for a very interesting film to watch, for a truly memorable weekend... you might even weep your eyes until you get there, this will be the film for you.

The title of my review was taken from the song "Demasiado Corazón" by Willie Colón.