Rating: 
Summary: Breathtaking.
Review: Breathtakingly beautiful film. Wonderful depiction of love in the eyes of a teenage boy. Reminiscent of another foreign film, "The Hairdresser's Husband."
Rating: 
Summary: Not What I Expected
Review: The thing that makes this film work is the range of moods/emotions that are covered. Comedy, nostalgia, eroticism and drama all have their turn, and have been blended into a shocking but suprisingly cohesive, whole.
Monica Bellucci, while not presented any real acting challenges, plays her role well, and is appropriately cast as the target of a young boys fantasies. I've heard (and it's obvious in viewing the film) that several minutes have been deleted from the original version. It is plain to see that the censorship is the result of concerns over the American market. I can assume that the missing footage shows the erotic dreams of the boy, something that could have hurt the commercial success of the movie stateside. How sad that art has to be mangled in order to placate a small percentage of backwards thinkers. As good as this film is, I'm certain that the full version would be more cohesive.
Rating:
Summary: Tornatore & Bellucci
Review: I have to confess that I'm a fan of Tornatore...Nuovo Cinema Paradiso...La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano (The legend of 1900)...Stanno tutti bene...and now, Malèna...Not only do his films portray great human stories, with greatly developed characters, but he also uses the talent of people like cinematographer Lajos Koltai (Sunshine, Guernica, Mephisto), composer Ennio Morricone (too many great film scores to list here!). And now...now he adds this collaboration with Mónica Bellucci... A great story about a boy, Renato, coming of age in a little Italian town during WWII. All the men go head over heels for Malèna, the gorgeous, melancholic widow, but only Renato sees her for more than just a sexual godess. He fantasizes about romatic interludes with her and goes out of his way to follow her, spy on her...just to be close to her... This is a great film...you don't want to miss it...!
Rating:
Summary: Bellucci,e probabilmente l'attrice italiana piu affascinante
Review: WARNING: this dvd version of MALENA is CENSURED!.....
10 or 15 mins have been deleted. and it's a shame! STORY: Malena (portrayed by monica bellucci),is the facination of a small town...she becomes the subject of increasingly malicious gossip among the lustful townsmen & their jealous wives...
her secret admirer renato amoroso (giuseppe sulfaro),dreams & spies on her.
time passes,malena's husband was reported killed in war,after a bombardment & the death of her father. malena has taken lovers amongst the german officers billeted in her town.......
THE CINEMATOGRAPHY:
hungaryan cinematographer LAJOS KOLTAI (previously worked for tornatore's "la leggenda del pianista sull'oceano" aka "legend of 1900"),& does here again, a fantastic job."Malena" might even be the best work he's done in his career.every shots are memorable.
THE MUSIC:
the exellent Italian composer ENNIO Morricone (who recently composed the score of "VATEL" & "RIPLEY'S GAME"),does not disapoint!...the principal theme of "Malena" is a reminisence of tornatore's "L'uomo delle stelle" (the star maker)mixed with the melodies morricone wrote for ADRIAN LYNE's "LOLITA"..in other words..a pure musical pleasure!!!...
THE ACTING:
- MONICA BELLUCCI...this italian actress has an incredible presence, her beauty and grace are the equivalant of the french actress ISABELLE ADJANI ( who btw is finaly making her come back with "La Repentie"...)...not many actresses have the guts to play in such powerful & disturbing scenes such as the last 15 mins of "MALENA", & demonstrates monica's undeniable acting talent.....
-GIUSEPPE SULFARO..."Malena" marks his acting debut,and so far he is a promissing actor. his character, Renato amoroso, is a vicious version of cinema paradiso's Salvatore.
DIRECTING:
-Italian director GIUSEPPE TORNATORE is a genius,pure and simple,all of his films are a work of art, and MALENA is no exeption,he is without a doubt the most talented italian director of the moment.
MALENA, the DVD....
-an exellent transfer, crystal clear image and 2:35:1 format.
-the features:tv spots,theatrical trailer & a making of Malena are available..the making of, shows some behind the scenes footages and interviews of giuseppe & bellucci.
SUGGESTIONS: buy or rent, but be sure not to miss a film called "UNA PURA FORMALITA" ("a pure formality") also directed by giuseppe tornatore & staring Gerard depardieu & roman polanski,This french-italian film is one of the most impressive thriller ever made (along with MEMENTO & GARDE A VUE).
also,the french film L'APPARTEMENT (staring monica bellucci & her husband vincent cassel) directed by gilles mimouni is a MUST!!(if you liked memento, run lola run, Rashomon..etc.or none linear films) than L'appartement is for you!.
finally, monica bellucci & vincent cassel are also playing in gaspar noe's latest film "irreversible" (gaspar noe aka the genius behind "I STAND ALONE")..and are also apearing in "BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF"...
Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Review: Malena is truly a great film. It works on so many levels. I have a relative who doesn't usually like foreign films but had to admit this is a great one. Its funny, its sad and it has a message. The story of the beautiful Malena is one that is heart-breaking. Malena is a beautiful woman whose husband is fighting in World War II and is left alone in this town. She is subjected to constant rumours and harassment by the men and women in their village. Renato is the young boy obsessed with her. He is also the only person who knows the truth about her and knows she doesn't do the things people say she does. Malena wasn't dating everyone, she was sewing for people into the night, carrying her husband's picture and dancing to their favorite music. The sad thing is that Malena has to become what everyone had labeled her once word got back that her husband was killed. Women refused to sell her food and she had to sleep with men to survive. There is a scene towards the end that really upset me. This movie shows how rotten both the men and the women were to her. Malena shows how dangerous lies and assumptions are to a person's standing in their community and their own self-respect. Malena is a very funny movie at times. There are scenes with Renato that made me laugh out loud. However, its a film that goes deeper than many out there. I would have to say this has become one of my all-time favorites. A beautiful, thought-provoking film.
Rating:
Summary: Sensual and artful
Review: Tornatore, director of "Cinema Paradiso," combines the best of the best in this, his seventh feature: -The beauty and sensuality of italian model, turned actress, Monica Bellucci (Malena), who demonstrates that models can be good actresses.
-The ingenuity of young Giuseppe Sulfaro, who was in charge of the very likeable character of Renato Amoroso, the boy that falls in love with Malena's beauty, which takes him through a trip that ends up as he's turning into a man, and perhaps one of the most ethical ones in his town.
-An incredible cinematography that exploits the natural beauty of Siracusa, Italy, which combined with the beauty of the music put together by master (and long-time musical partner of Tornatore), Ennio Morricone, makes the movie the most delightful trip for the senses. In general, if you loved "Cinema Paradiso" and/or "Life is Beautiful" you'll deeply enjoy this movie and its story.
Rating:
Summary: 'MALENA' is a touching coming of age tale.
Review: When Giuseppe Tornatore, the director, was shooting a commercial for Dolce and Gabana he met Monica Belluci while shooting it and when he saw her he decided that she was perfect for the part of Malena and thank god he met her. The story is about a young man (Giuseppe Sulfaro) who is only 12 and is starting to go through the usual changes a boy goes trough at that age and this is all happening while WW2 is going on. While he is going through this stage in his life he one day sees the town beauty, Malena Scordia, who's husband is from the town they live in and she is new in it. From the moment he sees her he becomes romantically obsessed with Malena, following her around town without her knowing it and spying on her. He witnesses the townspeople when they badmouth Malena behind her back and he retaliates by doing all sorts of things which i won't spoil because it takes some of the fun out of them though they are at times a little gross. He is sort of like a guardian. When news of Malena's husband's death arrives in town the gossip about her being a whore just grows and eventually circumstances make her become the town whore. The direction is very beautiful and nostalgic. It evokes memories of old italian movies and of the beautiful italian female stars of those times like Sophia Loren and Gina Lobriggida. The cinematography here just makes Monica Belluci even more beautiful than she already is and it has a dreamy feel to it and it was nominated for the Academy Award. The music here is one of Ennio Morricone's best scores. It was nominated for the Academy Award also. It is funny at times and also very bittersweet. It helps enhance the romantic, comic, and melancholy tone of the movie. And the acting is also very good. Giuseppe Sulfaro is very easy to identify with and for many guys who went through the changes this will have extra resonance. He does not have a chunk full of dialogue so he communicates his feelings through his actions and his facial expressions. Monica Belluci has even less dialogue but she manages to communicate so much emotion through those sad eyes of hers. She expresses sadness and sexiness all at once. Though it would have helped if the audience got more involved with Malena's internal conflict. The writing is flawed, mostly because the characters could have been a little more involving and this does leave some unsatisfaction. But other than that this is a beautiful movie and i strongly recommend it. You will become a fan of Miss Belluci if you see this. One more note: the resolution of the story might be a little hard for some to take becasue of the cruelty that is involved. It was hard for me to see it.
Rating:
Summary: A masterfully told story
Review: In "Malena", Tornatore has managed to seamlessly weave three themes together into a powerful story. - The first theme is the coming-of-age of a boy just reaching his teen-age years. We watch him grow from a boy - experiencing the first stirrings of sexual desire - to a young man with compassion and the courage to do what's right. The film does an effective, imaginative job of depicting his struggles as he goes through this transition. - The second theme involves the base behavior of the villagers - the dehumanizing acts driven by desire and jealousy. They feel justified in their behavior, all the while bringing pain to everyone involved and damaging the lives of upright people. - The third theme revolves around the effects of WWII on the village. The movie invokes a thorough period feel, and is enjoyable to watch just to see the time and place. The development of the story is near-perfect. And just when it seems that there is no good way to end the movie, a final twist allows them to wrap everything up beautifully. While I've seen this movie called "erotic", it's more accurate to describe it as "smoldering." There's nothing overt here - the focus is on the power of sexual desire to drive people's behavior.
Rating:
Summary: The Struggles of Puberty and the Trials of a Beauty
Review: 'Malena' is indeed a gripping Italian cinema with English subtitles. A teenager Renato, alienated from his peers by his inadequacy of stature and indignity of wearing short pants, is filled with infatuation for Malena, a gorgeous young married woman whose beauty makes her the envy of the townspeople and the subject matter of every gossip. Malena's husband dies in the War and the gossip against her intensifies leading to her ostracism in the town. Met with isolation and starvation she falls a prey to prostitution, which almost seals her fate. Renato burning with desire for her, sees through her miseries and mistakes but only from a distance and in silence. Finally there is redemption when her husband, presumed dead, appears in town with a single arm to rescue her from indignity and misery. This powerful story of Malena's woes is beautifully portrayed by Monica Bellucci and Giuseppe Sulfaro, in the background of Sicily during the World War II. Giuseppe Tornatore seems to be very good at weaving a tragic tale of beauty, desire and public envy. This movie provides a thought-provoking entertainment for those who like foreign films.
Rating:
Summary: "Malena" -- Doomed to Be Beautiful
Review: The movie wakes up nostalgy for a died off morality, for a radical beauty -- impossible today, for less dynamic times, when one could focus more and get obsessed. But it also conveys the soothing thought of the universality of times and places. An Italian teenager, living during the Second World War, is not much different in emotional terms than any boy in any place at any time. The format may differ, but the content stays the same. "Malena"'s teenager fights and adapts himself to his sprouting painful sexuality. His parents, although aware of the fact he is growing up in the usual way, refuse to accept it easily. Beauty is envied for, discussed, contemplated, and denied. Brutality waits for the proper moment to erupt and bury alive civilizational intents and hypocritical behaviors. The ordinary hates the extraordinary. One may easily degrade in unusual circumstances. Love is blind and lasts. If you want to hear unthinkable truths and unbelievable conclusions, "Malena" is not the perfect choice. In case you want to observe human nature in action, to grasp the extent of possible extremes, and to watch beauty suffering, degradind, and triumphing, do not miss the atmosphere of this middle-century small Italian town.
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