 |  | Stunning cinematography.... |  |
Story is set in Sicily during World War II. Adolescent Boy (Renato) falls in love with Malena, who is a stunning beauty who captures the attention of the entire town. The men lust for her. The women despise her beauty. The plot follows the boy's obsession with her - he watches her grieve over the loss of her husband - he listens to the malicious rumors of her philandering - he grimaces when he sees the unwelcome advances - and he learns how she copes with poverty and hunger. Renato's family is hilarious as they deal with his coming of sexual age. Movie is enhanced with beautiful music and spectacular cinematography.
February 9, 2008| | | MOVIE... OR... SOFT PORN?! | |
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THIS MOVIE. THE STORY WAS GOOD, BUT CHILDREN AND NUDITY/SEX IS JUST SICK!!!
November 27, 2007"Malena" is a good film. I watched the American DVD; and might have enjoyed the uncut version even more. Director and writer Giuseppe Tornatore won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988 for "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso." This film follows a young boy Renato through the war. While wars and rumors of wars swirl around the story, Renato is firmly focused on what most boys of his age would be: girls. Giuseppe Sulfaro in his first and only film (to date) plays the boy with puppy dog eyes and a racing bicycle. Monica Bellucci who was in The Matrix Reloaded (Widescreen Edition) and The Matrix Revolutions (2-Disc Widescreen Edition) as well as The Brothers Grimm [Blu-ray] is stunningly beautiful. As an actress, she's not asked to do much other than look beautiful. Renato's father Luciano Federico is hysterically funny as his interface with the boy gives the family relationship reality that seems juxtaposed to the horrors of war about to be unleashed. The brutal scene where the women of the village assault Malena is chilling. Malena's husband Nino returns home from the war after having been reported dead and tries to track down his wife. When they return to the village, Malena shops in the market and tries to mend fences with the same women who were so incredibly mean to her. Lajos Koltai was nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Ennio Morricone was nominated for an Oscar for Best Score. Josh Groban would take the music and record Morricone's "You're Still You" on his first CD Josh Groban. This is a good film. Uncut, it might be great. Set against the horrors of war, it shows people in their unvarnished humanity. Enjoy!
November 9, 2007An memorable coming of age tale, depicting the effects of love, lust, envy, duplicity, loss, and of war. Beautiful Sicilian scenery, with a beautiful Monica Bellucci. Excellent script and direction.
October 1, 2007 | | Almost Beyond Description | |
A gorgeous, voluptuous woman is the object of attention in this World War II period piece, set in an Italian town. The star is a horny 13-year-old who fantasizes about a relationship with this grown woman, "Malena," a sexy lady who gets all the mens' attention in the town, and all the wrath of the jealous town women.
This is a strange film at times but beautifully filmed and almost always interesting. Monica Bellucci is indeed a feast for any male's eyes. She is almost beyond description, looks-wise. What happens to her, unfairly, near the end is not pleasant. Otherwise, it's a pretty humorous film in segments, especially with dialog between the young kid and his dad.
There is a such a mixture of genres in here that is makes the movie fresh almost every time I see it, which has been three times so far.
September 17, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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