Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

zetes Sicily, 1940. A teenage boy (Giuseppe Sulfaro) is initiated into manhood when his friends introduce him to the glories of Malena (Monica Belluci), the most beautiful woman in town. Sulfaro becomes obsessed, following her wherever she goes on his bike, and he even spies on her in her home. His obsession is not the only one, as much as he wishes and wants to believe it were - the whole town worships her. Every man wants to have her, and every woman is deeply jealous of that fact. And, man, does that make life hard for Malena - her husband is fighting the war in Africa, and the rumors are flying, making life nearly impossible. Sulfaro might see her as a sex object initially, but the more he observes the more he sympathizes. This film begins as an enjoyable comedy, but it grows deeply serious. The climax is one of the harshest, most potent sequences I've seen in a long while. One will recognize the nostalgic tone of the movie if you're familiar with Cinema Paradiso, but I think this is actually a stronger film. Excellent.

Lambysalamby Wow, just finished this, totally blown away. This is a shining example of European film. You just do not get movies like this from Hollywood. It must easily be one of the best films I have ever seen. (and I have seen a lot!)This is a deeply sad movie which you could actually compare to the Elephant Man, albeit for beauty, not ugliness, I won't say any more about the story than that.The direction, cinematography and the score here are all flawless but the most amazing thing about this film was Monica Belluci, her subtle performance is beautiful and I could not imagine another actress in the role..The thing that is so poignant about the performance she gave is that she has very little dialogue at all, but the deep sorrow you could see on her face and in her eyes was astonishing.Overall: You'd be hard pressed to find a better film today so watch this one. It's an unforgettable masterpiece and I'm speechless.

mingmingbaibaigepi Just watched Malèna again, last time maybe 10 years ago, at that time, I was just addicted to beauty of Monica Bellucci. In Chinese, it is translated to " the beautiful legend of Sicilia ", at last, it is not beautiful but fierce humanities. Beauty is doomed to loneliness and indescribable, the root of evil, sin, lust and purity paradoxically? That is destroyed by the violence and silence from the masses. Gossip and jealousy drive people to be mad. Women self-suggest a beautiful woman must have defect on moral as a silly compensation because they envy the beauty from Malèna they could not possess, but the men, their possessiveness and the repression of reality also drive them to self-suggest , they thought Malèna a lust whore to relief or release their greedy because they could not touch her actually. Boy's sexual fantasy seems quite authentic as we are always doing, we are imagining we did everything with powerful heroism at all times, the sad reality is that we are dispassionate onlookers for the tragedy. Who can tell me why the young boys love maturing woman but they would love Lolita when they get old?

ABHIJEET KUMAR Malèna (2000) is directed by Giuseppe Tornatore known for his (1988) classics "Cinema Paradiso", (1995) "The Star Maker" and (1998) "The Legend of 1900"Giuseppe Tornatore - His name is not as famous as His movies to the Cinema Lovers from around the world, Like other Italian Directors. May be his name is difficult to remember and pronounce or may be he has not been directing films as frequently as other directors do. But I think he is the most genuine, genius, Romantic & poetic filmmaker ever born in Italy. And If I will be the one to make the list of top 100 movies ever made, I will include most of the films by "Giuseppe Tornatore" in that List. While watching "Malèna", I felt like I am traveling through the time, The patters & transition from my childhood to teenage were very similar to this film. The love which I did not know how to express, The sensual and social awakening I was going through. As the film "Malèna" is being narrated from the point of view of teen age "Renato" and incidents are taking place on the backdrop of 1940s as Italy enters into World War II through Mussolini's fascist belief and obsession. The same I experienced in Gaya, Bihar during 1993-1998 when similar fascist strategy of Laloo Government who put the whole state in the fire of Naxilsm and my obsession or fascination or possibly the first Love with my class teacher. Who was as beautiful as "Malèna". It was the time of sensual and social awakening and exploration except I was not as daring as "Renato" but in many ways not less than that. The most important thing in a movie is when an Audience can see himself in the Movie as one of the characters. The Co-coherence. As he himself is on the screen, he himself speaking all the lines, and he himself feeling all those emotions. When you watch a movie which can give you this kind of experience it means it's a perfect piece of cinematic creation. And I think "Malèna" delivers the similar experience to the all the audience above the age of 10. I think nobody ever forgets "His First bicycle", "His first crush or Love" (Usually Most of the boys have their first crush on a girl quite older to his age.) "And First masturbation imagining woman he has crush on", And at the age when we go through all this we feel no less than "Alexander the Great" or "Robin hood" and any other super hero. This is how adulthood take birth in us long before we become adults. Even for a single second this thought does not appear in our head, that we are still not adult. As we learn to drive bicycle and we feel like flying, the same way we imagine that we are making love to the beautiful woman we are fascinated with and experiencing heaven. But sadly the social structure doesn't allow us to express our most pure and genuine self we experience in the teenage. Even our parents, uncle and all around us has gone through the same in more or less a similar way, But when they catch this expression of us they call it a pervert act. I like the scene in "Malèna" when finally his father takes "Renato" to a brothel where he have sex with a prostitute imaging her as "Malèna". Well it was not necessary, because it can be criticized negatively simple because most people don't use the inner sense. Also that is unacceptable to the most of the social structure in the world. I feel if the society will allow the expressions of childhood and adulthood in it's original form and guide them in a proper way than I believe The Perfect Man will be created to serve the future. The memory of suppression we go through in our childhood lasts very long and by the time we become adults some of us loose half of the excitement to life at its fullest.The Another angle of the film is the dual standard of man dominated society. If there is a beautiful woman, living single or divorced or facing the misery of life. There will be certainly stories about her all over the town. From barber shop to the Meyer's office. She might be called by all the names a man hate to call the most to her sister, daughter or mother. "Malèna" represent that woman, "Every Man want to sleep with "Malèna" But nobody has respect for her expect the teenage "Renato".I hope the film will take you the same joy ride through the time, As it took it to me. And now I feel like meeting the same "Teacher" from my Childhood, I wanna say her the same way Renato Says to "Malèna" in the end of the movie "Buona fortuna, Signora Malena", I will say "Good to see you dear teacher, You are still as Beautiful you were long time ago." When you had your first bicycle, When you had your first crush on a beautiful Woman, When you had your first Masturbation. When everything around you were changing, while you were changing, If all those memories have faded, Watch "Malèna", It is a poetry written on Celluloid.