Non ti scordar di me

After the great tenor Gigli was essentially dropped by the Metropolitan Opera, he went to Europe and made a number of films. I expected little from this 1935 curio, but it surprised me.

The story, built around a series of musical numbers by Gigli, is quite effective. Well-written and well-acted by the lead actress, Gigli, and the rest of the cast.

The language barrier between the leads is the most realistic depiction I've seen in a film of people attracted to each other but unable to communicate because they don't speak the same language. The early scenes aboard the ocean liner are very well-done and give one the real flavor of crossing the Atlantic in the 1930s.

And there is real suspense about how it will end. This is no great film, but you do care about the characters. I was nearly biting my nails to find out what decision the conflicted heroine would make at the end.

This is not the film to appreciate Gigli's brilliant singing, which is poorly recorded by the British sound engineers, but it's very worth seeing. I actually had tears in my eyes during the final plot twists. Recommended!