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DVD Malena
When 12-year-old Renato, riding through his small Italian town on his new bicycle, sees the voluptuous Malèna, little does he know he's launching on an infatuation that will carry him through the tumultuous days of World War II. Malèna begins as an enraptured depiction of Renato's adolescent mind--the way he stares, hypnotized, at Malèna's garters pressing through the material of her tight skirt, or his frustrated rebellion against the indignity of wearing short pants--but soon transforms into a portrait of small-town prejudice. Malèna's looks spark lust and envy in the townspeople; when her husband dies in combat, the gossip only intensifies, to the point that Malèna is dragged into court to defend herself against accusations of adultery. When the women of the town refuse to sell her edible food at the market, Malèna has little choice but to become what she's been unjustly accused of being. At the end, a twist of fate turns this tale of longing and jealousy into a heartbreaking love story. Monica Bellucci exudes the can't-help-it eroticism that makes Malèna such a lightning rod for everyone's desires; she's like a more zaftig Isabelle Adjani. The movie seems to wander at times, but the ending has a powerful emotional impact. From the director of Cinema Paradiso. --Bret Fetzer
Beautifully Made Film, But Lacks Emotion and Depth
After watching Cinema Paradiso, I was ecstatic to watch another film by this wonderful director. I thought that the same emotion, engaging storytelling, and convincing, real characters that I saw from Cinema Paradiso will also come along with this film. But at the end, I was very disappointed. These are the things that annoyed me about this movie:
1) Malena. I watched this whole film thinking that there would be more to this character than her beauty and sex appeal. And I also hoped that somehow we would see the real Malena based upon a realistic and honest perspective from the young boy, or somebody. But instead, all the director gives us is an unrealistic and shallow image of Malena based upon all the wet dreams that the young boys have, and the blasphemous rumors from every woman in the town! Malena barely speaks in this movie. She's nothing more than just a sex symbol and a pretty face, that's all. We never get a chance to hear if she has something important to say, let alone do we actually see a personality or character in general. I never understood why, other than her beauty and the fact that most of the men and boys lust after her, does this whole town focus so much on her while they're at war! This overdone fantasy image of Malena overshadowed the film so much that it leaves the viewer sometimes wondering what's real and what's not, and at the end doesn't leave no sense of emotion on anything that's going on.
2) As I said before, I never understood why nearly every single person in town cared so much about this one woman. It made the whole movie seem very unrealistic. Nobody even made an attempt to know Malena. At the end I didn't really understand why all of a sudden she's liked by everyone after nearly being torn up to the bone from being battered and beaten by the women on the street.
3) As a whole, this movie never really seemed to make a real point. It takes place during WWII. There's a woman who's so beautiful that the whole town lusts after her and hates her at the same time. A boy is going through adolescence. This story is retold by the boy when he's a grown man. Why out of all the women that he went out with in his life is Malena the most important? What has she ever said or done to affect his life? How has she affected him to be the man he is today? We never see why. They never had a conversation with each other. He saw nothing more in her than just a fantasy, a wet dream, and then a woman who's wrongfully misunderstood. She never revealed her true character to him, and vice versa. So at the end, are we supposed to feel sorry for Malena? Is the movie supposed to make a statement about how to not judge a book by its cover? Were we supposed to get some newfound insight about the main character? I don't know about some other viewers, but I just didn't get it. I thought this story told by the young boy as a man was supposed to have some in depth purpose to reveal something important about his life or about Malena herself. But at the end, esp. since the fact that he had more of a visual than a vocal voice, and never really explains exactly WHY or WHAT he sees in Malena other than her beauty, it leaves a very disappointing ending. I think if this movie had put more depth and reality to the story in general, it would have made it a more emotional, moving, as well as entertaining experience. I think it's a shame that in 1 hour and 30 mins, I didn't get anything out of this. At the end I believe that this movie tried to do nothing more but showcase how so damn sexy and gorgeous the title character is when she's repeatedly walking down the street with a tight and sexy yet elegent dress on like some runway model. And i think that's such a shame, because this movie could have had so much more depth and emotion beyond that. I expected something much better from the director who nearly changed my life and made me cry in his last film Cinema Paradiso.
Fantastic Beyond Imagination
I watched this movie last night, and i'm so dumbfounded and amazed by it I cant really think straight this morning. One word to describe this movie...? There is none... its so many things put together into one whole great movie motion picture. Monica Bellucci was amazing, and beautiful as always, and I dont think anybody else could have played a better Malena. The story was so sad, yet utterly beautiful at the same time, especialy the end when Malena returns to the village, despite all the terrible things they did to her, with her husband. I was so moved by this movie, I'm going to show it to all my freinds and everybody I know. The only thing I was a bit upset with was this DVD version. I watched the trailer before the movie, and on the trailer it shows the famous scene where Malena is lying down on the chair outside on the porch, lightly glazing a paper towel over her face and neck. That scene wasnt even in the movie!!! Geez, I really should get the FULL version, but whatever... it was still great, and since this DVD is cut to more appropriate srandards (despite its still unjustly rated R, and you can get it in Canada with a 14A rating) more people who are offended by nudity or whatever (thats really stupid but some people are) can see this version and appreciate it just as much. I love this movie to death, and there hasnt been any other greater than it since Amelie.
Monica- Need I Say More?
If you have not seen this movie, go immediately to the title and order it! (But get the uncut version!) This is the best, without question, movie, of all genres, I have seen in at least five years.
First of all, with Monica Bellucci in it, I need not say much more. But seldom does a film capture the entire spectrum of emotions as this one does. At times I laughed until it hurt, at other times the sadness was maddening. Few films have exposed the Italian psyche during the confusing Fascist WWII years. Malena captures the backdrop of Fascist Sicily while providing a glimpse of human nature, human frailty and, especially, human failings.
Irreversible begins with the closing credits running backwards before the film begins (or ends) with Marcus (Vincent Cassell) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel) being escorted out of a gay S&M club by the cops, Marcus with his arm broken and Pierre in handcuffs. The "story" proceeds to unwind in a series of single-take scenes that unfold Memento-style, with each scene giving more context to what we have seen previously. Each scenario depicts actions, dialogue, incident, behavior, and circumstances that the lead characters might have wished didn't happen, ranging from extreme violence through awkward social situations to mild embarrassment. The central character (and possible dreamer of this whole what-if story) emerges as Alex (Monica Bellucci), who suffers the worst in a very... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Monica Bellucci - Vincent Cassel - Albert Dupontel Director(s): Gaspar Noé DVD Release Date: Released the 05 August 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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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 KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Enzo Cannavale - Philippe Noiret Director(s): Giuseppe Tornatore DVD Release Date: Released the 18 February 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Italian star and filmmaker Massimo Troisi was dying of heart failure even before this film, his dream project, began production, and he prevailed upon British director Michael Radford (White Mischief) to see him and the film through to the end. (The 40-year-old Troisi, a beloved comic actor in Italy, died the day production wrapped.) Based on true events, Troisi plays a shy postman who strikes up an unlikely friendship with exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret). Through Neruda's example and tutelage, the hero learns to think of his Italian fishing village in lyrical terms, as well as how to talk to women and even find the strength to take his political stands. Sweet as it is, the film finally pushes beyond its charming borders to become an even more complex and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Massimo Troisi Director(s): Michael Radford DVD Release Date: Released the 14 March 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A love letter to movies (and the French new wave of the 1960s in particular), Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers starts with a 1968 riot outside of a Parisian movie palace then burrows into an insular love triangle. Matthew (Michael Pitt, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), an expatriate American student, bonds with a twin brother and sister, Isabelle (Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel), over their mutual love of film--they not only quote lines of dialogue, they act out small bits and challenge each other to name the cinematic source. Matthew suspects the twins of incest, but that doesn't stop him from falling into his own intimacies with Isabelle. As the threesome becomes threatened, Paris succumbs to student riots. The Dreamers aspires to be kinky, but the results are more... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Bernardo Bertolucci DVD Release Date: Released the 13 July 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I enjoyed Ciao, Professore! very much. It was poignant, charming, and humorous. Coming from an Italian background, I have recommended it to family and friends, especially Italians! More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Paolo Villaggio - Isa Danieli Director(s): Lina Wertmüller DVD Release Date: Released the 13 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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