Malena

When this movie was released the buzz was huge... Mostly because it starred the walking-talking male fantasy, Monica Bellucci. It did the rounds around various Film Festivals and even the most skeptical critics were won over. They were won over by many things... The scenery is stunning, making you feel like you're really in Sicily. The acting is subtle but superb. And it's this that is most shocking. Monica Bellucci was, when this film was released, a model-turning-actress. No-one expected her to actually be good, and we were right, she wasn't good... she is amazing in this film!! Bellucci has very little dialogue, she has to use body language and facial expressions... most people would agree this is much more difficult. Since this film, she has gone on to be Italy's most successful acting export for years. With roles in Matrix 2 & 3, Tears Of The Sun, and the truly ground-breaking Irreversible, she has proved herself time and time again! What her character goes through is heartbreaking and, through Bellucci's acting and the wonderful performance given by protagonist narrator Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro), we experience everything she does.

At times the movie is hilarious, particularly when detailing the lengths the men of the village will go to just to catch glimpse of Malena. Mostly though, the film shows how jealousy and subsequent hatred can destroy anything and anyone. This movie will stay with you for a very long time!!

8.5/10

The first time I got to watch this utterly beautiful film, I knew nothing of the awesomeness of Giusseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) or the ethereal beauty of Monica Bellucci.

Well, all the needed knowledge flooded my mind within the two hours I spent watching Malena. It's a coming-of-age film, set in the World War 2 years in a small town of Sicily. The main lead is a young boy named Renato, and through his perfectly understandable obsession of a married woman named Malena (there couldn't be a more perfect cast than Monica Bellucci in this role),we get to see him maturing over a few years time. Most of the team focuses on Malena of course, but it's all through Renato's eyes (he's stalking her all the time), and his affection for her. It's no wonder that all males in the town (even teenagers) mostly view her as a hot piece of meat, but this boy's pure love is what eventually makes the difference in his (and her) life.

The ending credits will leave you with the "life goes on" aftermath and possibly the strongest feeling of melancholy you ever achieved from a movie.

Great cinematography, excellent performances from Monica Bellucci(though she barely speaks throughout the film) and the boy playing Renato, amazing score by the grand Maestro Ennio Morricone (nominated for an Oscar), this film has become my absolute favourite and Monica Bellucci my most recent (and strongest) obsession! A perfect 10, though it might seem over the top to a few of you.

Although mellowed by a narrative through the eyes of an adolescent, Malena is a movie that attempts to critique the savagery inherent in the 'civilized' society of men. Through the story, the viewer is shown the cruelty that people are capable of as a collective unit, with each individual playing a small part. It attempts to lay bare the gross hypocrisy and fragile morals that hide just beneath the surface.

Malena is also a discourse on beauty, and its brutal power. The feverish lust it produces in a man, and the severe and horrible envy in a woman. The viewer's feelings of appreciation for Malena's beauty are slowly overtaken by a feeling of utter despair for Malena's beauty, which is the cause of all her woes.

Technically the film is true to its period - a small Italian village that passes through the crisis of the 2nd World War. The story unfolds through the eyes of a young boy, who carries us along on a journey of lust, love and maturity. We watch helplessly as his innocent perspectives about life are jarred by the realities of society, while he watches helplessly the misfortunes of the beautiful Malena.

I do not remember who, but some critic, complained about not knowing what Malena thought and not being able to see her act and speak more in a movie...

I am sure all of us, especially in our childhoods, were once so deeply infatuated by another human being, that they were as sacred and as untouchable to us as Da Vinci's Giaconda.

That is why Malena is portrayed as a work of art who always looks down, burdened by her beauty. We can only suspect what she feels and we can enjoy the sight of her sad gorgeous face.

And absolutely no words are necessary!

This film compliments the saying: BE BORN HAPPY RATHER THAN BEAUTIFUL

I do agree that Monica Belucci, who I consider to be the most beautiful actress alive and one of the most enchanting beauties in the world, was perfect for this part!

I found the film to be visually hypnotic and very moving. I was also impressed with the film maker's story telling technique. The film brought me into the bustling street life of the Sicilian village by eye-level camera work and the comments of the people in crowded scenes, through which I was taken with the characters. Just like walking down a busy urban street anywhere with your ears and eyes open. The film made me wake up to the fact that so much American film, perhaps all contemporary film, is composed mainly of close ups with two or a few people. Not this film. There is a sequence with airplanes overhead that is absolutely dizzying without any fancy 3-D or pyrotechnic effects. Mr. Tornatore brilliantly uses silent stares, pairs of eyes and silly dream sequences with amazing effect. The male lead, an adolescent boy, is portrayed with great empathy by Giuseppe Sulfaro without schmaltz or sanitizing, so typical in American films about puberty. The title role, played well by a dazzling Monica Bellucci, could have been written for a young Sophia Loren. (My dream sequence, I guess) My favorite character was Renato's father, hilariously played by Luciano Federico. A must see.