Rating: 
Summary: A pleasant surprise: intelligent as poetry.
Review: I definitely didn't plan on watching this movie. In fact, I had asked for a science fiction flick set in the future recommended by my brother, a movie which just happened to have the same English title. Imagine my shock when instead of seeing a futuristic picture set in 2010, at home I find myself watching an Italian romantic comedy set in 1954. But my shock soon changed to pleasure as I began watching. Il Postino (sub-titles in English) is about a remote Italian island that becomes home to the world-famous poet Pablo Neruda (a Nobel prize winning poet in real life), who is exiled from his home country of Chile. He is befriended by the gentle Mario, a simple postman who delivers his mail and is eager to discover the secret and power of poetry which seems to have women worldwide at Neruda's knees. A beautiful relationship of understanding develops between these two men, as the inarticulate Mario uses poetry to woo the beautiful woman with whom he has fallen in love: Beatrice Russo. The passion that leads to love at first sight is not credible, but there's no arguing with the power and passion of the poetry, although it's certainly not appreciated by his love's aunt: "When a man starts touching you with words, his hands are not far behind. I'd prefer a drunkard at the bar that touches her bum than a man who says Your smile spreads like a butterfly." But don't be fooled - the movie is not primarily about the romantic relationship between Mario and Beatrice, but more than anything it is about the tender relationship between the poet and the peasant postman that comes to the foreground. The beauty of this relationship offers much more than the average big-screen love story. Italian movies, it seems, are able to achieve something that seems to be out of reach of the standard Hollywood blockbuster - gentleness, beauty and charm, without the distractions of sex, profanity and violence. The poetry offers an intelligence sadly lacking in many other movies, with many memorable lines such as: "Poetry doesn't belong to those who wrote it, but to those who need it."Much like the Italian "Life is Beautiful", the movie consists of two acts, the second act occurring several years after marriage. Here there is a rapid change of gears and tone, as Neruda departs the island, and postman Mario and his wife go into a crisis. The initial romance and comedy turns to tragedy as Mario heart-wrenchingly tries to come to terms with the fact that his poet and friend appears to have forgotten him, and makes a sound recording of the island so that Neruda can remember its poetic beauty. Here we see the profound results of Neruda on Mario - he sees the world in a whole new way, even though his new outlook on life comes with a tremendous cost. As Neruda returns to the island and listens to the recording, by means of flashbacks we are shown the terrible tragedy that ensues as Mario deals with political corruption and follows the communist ideals of his poet and friend. The tragic note is powerful and sad, and yet deeply mysterious - quite honestly the precise purpose of the ending eluded me, although the final note seemed significant in a way that I couldn't quite understand, despite being unsatisfying. Perhaps it is simply to reflect on the powerful effect that the poetry, politics and person of Neruda had using Mario as a microcosm. Center stage is not romance, but the power and passion of poetry and friendship, and their ability to change and enrich an individual's life, although this point doesn't come out with the clarity as one might hope. Despite the somewhat perplexing ending, what lingers in the mind is this tender and beautiful relationship between a poet and a postman, and the poetry that bonded them together. It's a slow and gentle ride - far from the action of the futuristic science fiction flick I was expecting - but there is a haunting and lasting beauty about this movie, matched by the breathtaking Italian landscape and a hauntingly beautiful dramatic score that won an Academy Award. Although not quite as good as "Life Is Beautiful" (there are many similarities between the two), it's still no wonder that "Il Postino" was an overwhelming success and gained several Academy Award nominations including "Best Picture". Massimo Triosi puts in a wonderful performance as the simple Mario. It turns out that it was his last, because he died of heart failure the day after filming was completed, his physical weakness perhaps making his characterization even more successful. His final contribution to cinema is not to be missed. This film is a passionate poem, a work of art. -GODLY GADFLY
Rating: 
Summary: touching fairy tale
Review: Pleasant to watch, it asks the question that we are all confronted with, on occasion....what if? And the famous author setting, well that was great. As one who carried the mail for a year, i had to smile at the leisure of the bicycle carrier---aint that way in the real world! Fun movie, no doubt.
Rating: 
Summary: A timeless tale
Review: On the surface, Il Postino is a timeless tale of love. But, beneath the surface, it is a story about how one man can influence those around him, without even realizing it. The characters are so realistic that everyone can find a little bit of themselves in the people of this Italian town. This film will make you laugh and cry, and is an international classic.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting
Review: Il Postino is an enchanting movie. It will make you believe that there are such things are pure love and everlasting friendship. Massimo Troisi, although dying from heart failure during the production of this movie, gives a performance that will lift your heart and spirit. Phillipe Noiret as Pablo Neruda is incredible. If you haven't read any of Neruda's poetry, buy his "One Hundred Love Sonnets" and rewatch the movie. As I have said.....enchanting.
Rating: 
Summary: Wanted to like this movie
Review: I really wanted to like this movie. I mean, romance and scenic vistas are two things I typically really like in a movie. However, I just found the movie too slow. I really couldn't nurse up much identification /sympathy with the main characters. Maybe if I would have grown up in a small town? There were some redeeming qualities to this movie. Some of the scenes between the two men were really touching. I thought the movie improved greatly after the poet left and the main character (I can't remember his name) experienced some self discovery. However, it took to long, in my opinion, for the movie to get to this point. Overall, I would say this movie is worth suffering through for the last 20 minutes or so of self realization, but just barely.
Rating:
Summary: "il postino" delivers!
Review: enjoy this fine italian production of a marriage of a perfect script and perfect scenery.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS MAGIC
Review: Another perfect example of Italian film-making. Love, great acting, deep thoughts. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Such sweet sarrow mixes humility with heroism
Review: A painfully humble postman, who longs to hone his inarticulate desires, and a famous poet, a world-renowned master of romantic and sensual words. A bicycle, a pen and paper, a village, a country house, a view of the sea - and what might be... Il Postino juxtaposes bumbling murmurs and ingenius metaphors, knowing and wanting to know, confidence and overwhelming insecurity. It helps that I love bicycles and the coast of Italy as well as the poetry of Pablo Neruda, one of the greatest (and most widely read) poets of the 20th century. Il Postino is a wonderful fable of longing and lust, stolen glances, shyness and gambles, reading and risk taking. And as Pablo Neruda himself made clear, Il Postino reminds us that poetry and politics are for peasants and well as the powerful, perhaps even more so. We peasants need to be engaged in expressing ourselves and, even if we're shy, even if we shake in our shoes, standing for passion and principle. Il Postino is one of my very favorite movies of the 1990s. It makes a worthy Italian double feature with Life is Beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Poetry Gets the Girl!
Review: Il Postino, a 1995 Miramax foreign film won an Oscar for Best Original Dramatic Score in 1996; it was nominated for Best Picture. It also won in numerous categories from other award shows, Broadcast Film, Chicago Critics, etc. The story is set in early 50's in Italy where a young man (Mario Ruoppolo) works with his father, an Italian fisherman. It is subtitled in yellow, easy to read and follow. The movie exudes softness even when it takes a turn into the political upheaval. Taking a job at the postal unit, he is assigned a route up a mountain to deliver mail to one man and his wife. The man, a poet, is living in exile as his communist ideas got him in trouble. Pablo Neruda writes poetry and is extremely popular with the women. It is in these mail delivery trips that shy Mario befriends Pablo and asks him to help him with poetry as he is wanting to attract the attention of a voluptuous waitress who works and lives with her meddling old aunt (Donna Rosa). There are some memorable quotes about this wonderful movie about the love and power of poetry. Neruda the poet says. "When you explain poetry, it becomes banal. Better than any explanation is the experience of feelings that poetry can reveal to a nature open enough to understand it." Mario says of the poetry: "Poetry doesn't belong to those who write it; it belongs to those who need it." With the use of metaphors to relay his poetry, Mario learns from Pablo how to express himself. The beautiful waitress is impressed when he tells her that her smile spreads across her face like a butterfly. When her meddling old aunt asks "what did he tell you? "Metaphors" she says, The aunt asks, "what metaphors did he do to you? Skeptical, she then steals more poems and takes them to the priest. When they read the words, "naked you are as thin as bare wheat, naked you are blue like a Cuban night" panic starts as she feels her niece has been touched and seduced. The aunt says: "When it comes to bed, there's no difference between a poet, a priest, or a communist! The conclusion of the love story takes a slight twist. See this!......MzRizz.
Rating:
Summary: A love story
Review: Developing a love of the written word, was the true love story in this film. The love between man and woman is secondary in this masterpiece. Evoking a truly beautiful portrait of a small village in Italy, Il Postino is a brilliant work. Like other Italian workss, it focuses on the people in the story, rather than brilliant special effects or huge world events. The world events in this piece are secondary to the effects of these events on the people. The postman, in this story, is a shy young man, learning to understand women, and life through the help of an exiled Chilean poet living in his village. The relationship between the poet, Neruda, and the postman is endearing, and is the other great love story of this work. Watching the growth of a bond between these men is enchanting. Italian films often evoke a romance, not just between people, but with the setting, the story, and all of the elements of the story. This film does not fail. 5/6/02
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