Malena (DVD)

I decided to buy Malena based on 3 things. The first my Sister had supplied me with Amazon vouchers because of my advent into my 25th year. Secondly I love Cinema Paradiso, another film by director Giuseppe Tornatore. Thirdly, I read a review on Ciao that was rather generous to it. When it first came out I remember Malena being derided as lacking in imagination compared to Cinema Paradiso; critics less kind likened it to a boy’s masturbatory fantasy. ...
...with the latter. Both Malena and Cinema Paradiso focus mainly upon a child over a stretch of years. Admittedly Cinema Paradiso takes in a greater scope of time, whilst Malena focusses on the years of World War II. For Malena opens with the image of a well suited near corpulent fascist standing in the back of a moving car, his voice booming as he tells the inhabitants of the town to listen to a broadcast from Mussolini later that day; when we hear ...

No_name 09.02.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Malena (DVD)

...wait for the local babe, Malena (Monica Bellucci) to walk by. As soon as Renato sees her, his life changes forever. Malena is married but her husband is a soldier in the war and she’s been left alone in a tiny village. The townsmen want her, the women hate her. Malena is beautiful and they’re jealous of the attention their husbands give her. The streets literally come to a standstill when she walks through them. Renato becomes fascinated by her, ...
...he knows what secret sorrow Malena hides. The love she has for her husband apparent when she dances, alone, with his photograph, unaware that Renato is watching her from his spy hole. The Malena that the townspeople see is not the one that Renato watches. Thus he becomes protective of her, angry when he hears the village folk talking about her in a derogatory way. This is the story of first love, unrequited love, and a woman that doesn’t know he ...

kirstymack80 12.12.2003 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Malena (DVD)

...known for CINEMA PARADISO. Malena is a story set in a small town on Sicily in 1942. Mussolini is still in power and almost everybody is delighted to be taking part in the war. The central character, Malena, is a young woman who has recently married a young local man. He brought her and her elderly father to this town, but was drafted a month after his marriage. Malena is now living alone in her husband's house while her father is the new Latin ...
...of sadness, whether it is Malena missing her husband, her being hounded by the townspeople, or even Renato fantasizing about her is ultimately hopeless. Altogether it is an enjoyable film, there is even satisfactory twist that leads to realistically happy ending, nothing sugary sweet. The DVD is a widescreen format, the only language is Italian. Optional subtitles are available in regular English and for the hearing impaired. Additionally there ...

DiamondCat 01.05.2008 (30.04.2008) · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Malena (DVD)

Malena is a film based on a story by Luciano Vincenzoni.It takes place in a Sicilian town at the time of Mussolini's fascism. Renato Amoroso(Giuseppe Sulfaro) is a young boy of 13 years of age and like most boys is far more concerned about the opposite sex.The boys watch and admire a lady called 'Malena' who is sexy and curvaceous(Monica Belucci).Most of the people think shes a whore for walking around town nice and pretty.They think she is an exhibitionist. ...
...that time affect Malena in a dramatic way in that her beauty becomes a danger in that time.Her Father is a schoolteacher and he dies in a bombing.Malena was a widow and her boyfried has gone to war.She is left alone to support herself. Renato watches over Malena discreetly through peepholes and gets close to her without her knowing he is there for he loves Malena,he knows that he can't be with her because of age and times.Even if Malena is in the ...

silverkinguk 25.03.2003 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Malena (DVD)