Picciridda - Con i piedi nella sabbia

It's a well done movie. It is slow, so be prepared for that.

I'm an actual, American man, and this movie did make me feel like a little Italian girl from the period that it is set in. That's pretty good.

The casting was impeccable.

There is a lot more that I would like to write about this film, but no spoilers from me.

Director Licata weaves a human tale that takes the viewer through a roller coaster of genuine emotions. Never cloying or sentimental, this film doesn't cater to its audience, instead drawing you in with an unflinching portrayal of human lives intertwined in joy, despair, love and indignity.

The actors are all natural and relatable, earning their way into your psyche. The director doesn't follow the Hollywood approach of talk, talk, talk but instead lets the faces, the streets, the ocean, the sky tell the tale, giving the audience an almost palpable sense of being alive. Best of all, I watched it two days ago and I'm still thinking - and feeling - about it.

Wow! Now this is what I call a film! An artistic masterpiece, the debut of Italian director Paola Licata, this story set on the picturesque island of Favignana off the coast of Sicily gifts us with the type of storytelling where a shot of a foot in the sand speaks volumes. The tale follows Lucia, a girl heading into puberty, as she is left behind on the island when her loving parents and little brother go to France without her. The parents need to be out of the poor island economy to get work, and Lucia is left behind for practical financial reasons, lack of accomodation, and to keep her grandmother company.

On Favignana, Lucia's extended family lives close and abounds in painful secrets that are the cause of estrangement between Lucia's grandmother and her great aunt. I nearly gave up watching during a point where someone was getting a beating, but ultimately glad I watched to the end. There is something so earthy, real, and heartbreaking about the non-sentimental tale of abandonment, friendship, betrayal, confusion, courage, and understanding that unfolds illuminated by the brown, teels, muted reds, ochre, and tan color palate.

Alone With Her Dreams, a brilliant art House movie about the difficult and complex relationship bewteen Lucia and her grandmother, may rip your heart out of you. If this sort of film appeals to you, then by all means, watch this one. It has stuck with me days after viewing it.

A great coming of age story set in a stunningly filmic location, "Picciridda" is a cheerful, life-affirming film, a disarming mixture of charm and brutality. The beauty of Favignana, an island off western Sicily, in the turquoise Mediterranean Sea is simply extraordinary. Licata did a wonderful work with his actors. Picciridda is a strong debut. Highly recommended!

I read the book, I must say perfect movie for such a touching story!! Absolutely a must see.