Malena (2000)

The Worst Film Ever

Sick Product of a Sick System

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

What an absolute delight to the senses. The melancholy music by Ennio Morricone, the 1940s scenery of a small Sicilian town, the amazing beauty and dignified demeanor of Monica Bellucci, the unflinching portrait of small-town gossip and jealousy - all combine to make a magnificent story with moments of incredible humor, sadness, passion and redemption. I drank in every minute of it. Highly recommended

First time i saw Malena on TV with a lot of censorship indeed. The second time i watch in a movie club in Jakarta. This time i saw without any cuts of it. Monica Bellucci is the center of this movie. Her body was potentially mark up the values of the whole story. The boy is a symbolic of a man's world. War makes all of cast, exclude Malena, becoming insane. Malena is a victim of man's desire. Every man from all race who fights each other just to be a war champion. And the trophy was Malena. Everything's recorded on Renato's mind, Malena's stalker.But war is over and she finally find her husband and leave the town to build a new family's life. Tornatore is a great director, Monica Bellucci makes him.

It's 1940 Castelcuto, Sicily. Mussolini has just declared war on France and Britain. Renato is a 12 year old boy. He gets a new bike and joins a group of local boy. They are obsessed with Nino's new wife Malèna Scordia (Monica Bellucci). He starts spying on her and having erotic dreams about her. Her husband dies in the war. In the town, the men are obsessed and the women are jealous. Rumors of affairs with married men lead to a court trial.If this is a story about Malèna, it could be something great. However, she's really more of an object and what a beautiful object she is. This is really a coming of age story about Renato. We're seeing Malèna through his eyes. In many ways, he has to be more compelling as a character played by a more charismatic actor. He needs to have friends to play with. He needs to have connections other than an imaginary one with Malèna. There has to more satisfying conversations. He's obsessed with a naked Monica Bellucci. Who isn't? That probably is worth some extra points somehow.

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.