Twice Born - Was vom Leben übrig bleibt

As I liked a lot the last movie directed by Castellitto and with Penelope Cruz based on a book by Margaret Mazzantini, I was sure I would like this one, even if I know the story would not be an easy one and quite a tragic one.

I absolutely adored the performance of Emile Hirsch, wonderful actor, absolutely great in the role he had her, wish there would be more movies with him. Cruz is also fantastic. And, as as someone very interested in the Bosnain war, and who wishes to visit Sarajevo so much, it was also interesting that the story was settled there, in a war forgotten by the world.

The whole story can be at some point difficult to understand, but this movie is absolutely worth to be seen.

Amazing acting from Penelope Cruz, she shows the true feelings of being a mother in an ironic sense. A woman's desire for motherhood has been well illustrated! Her facial expressions throughout the movie are emotionally penetrating and make you think about this movie for quite a while.

The movie has a perfect story-line. The shifting between present and past is done is professional way so you would connect the events without loosing the line.

Watching this movie is like a heart-rending ride, but cinematography and acting are rewarding. The background music faultlessly matches all episodes of the movie. In one word, it's a well-directed and well-acted Italian movie.

As another review stated, this is a "lovely overlooked film". Penélope Cruz' performance was exquisite. The story intense and beautiful. A story about obsessive love and motherhood. It had me from the very first image until the very last. Music is stunning. If you enjoy tough stories that take you from the sublime to the horrors of war, from the grotesque actions of man to the perfection of birth, this film will take you there and to so many other levels. I cannot believe that this film did not garner more kudos then it did. I don't even remember its release in the U.S. Cruz has done some amazing films and some not so amazing films. This is one of her amazing films. Accurate in its depiction of the war in Sarajevo and the ugliness that never got enough press, much like this film. I want to watch it again. See it!

¨Twice Born¨ is a thought-provoking war drama crammed with thrills , intrigue , family relationship and an agreeable love story . It tells the story of Gemma (Penelope Cruz), an Italian single mother who decides to bring her teenage son, Pietro (Pietro Castellitto) to battle-scarred city of Sarajevo, where his father died in the Bosnian conflict years ago . There they see the country where he was born and where she fell in love with Pietro's now-deceased father, photographer Diego (Emile Hirsch). It's a tense arrival, one that foreshadows the struggles Gemma must face as she relives her past. Scenes of the present are intercut with those of the past, when Gemma was a student working on her doctorate in Sarajevo in the early 1980s. The two had formed a romance in a very different Sarajevo during the 1984 Winter Olympics . But when the Balkan war loomed , Gemma was forced to flee to Italy with her infant son. As she tours the city 18 years later, she uncovers a terrifying hidden truth . There , she was introduced to the passionate American photographer Diego by her zany Bosnian poet guide, Gojko (Adnan Hasković) kickstarting a steamy romance that leads to marriage but, unfortunately for them, a lack of children leads to unexpected consequences .

This interesting film deals with a tragedy of human emotions pushed over the edge . This wartime movie picture is an enjoyable tale with an interesting characterizing about a few characters , tragic drama , emotion and including some war scenes . Its style is pretty much sour , dry and realistic as well in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog . Sergio Castellito returns to top form, with an intelligent and engaging script which uses dramatic situations to give us a good movie in a high sense and intimate sensitivity and that kept me entertained for the almost two hours and some of duration . This stirring as well as intimate story is a passionate retelling and a touching love story between Cruz and Hirsch interrupted by a fateful war . Storyline relies heavily on the continued relationship among them ; in spite of , the movie results to be better than average , being surprisingly good and compellingly realized . Rightly enjoyable and fun-filled , milestone drama which neatly combines tragedy , drama , entertaining situations and unexpected finale . Flawless story with a quartet of sensational protagonists , all of them give fine performances , as Penélope Cruz , Emile Hirsch , Adnan Haskovic and Saadet Aksoy . Unforgettable Penelope Cruz , she parades sexily at her best and more relaxed and enticing than ever . The hit of the show is undoubtedly for the fetching Penelope who gives one of the best screen acting , she pays a nervous and aged woman who flies to Sarajevo with her son , marking the first time they've been back since escaping the Bosnian War 16 years earlier. I liked everyone in the excellent cast, and the male and female actors , especially Penelope Cruz , were all very attractive . I have seen many, Hollywood-dramas that couldn't compare with this one, but many give them a higher rating because they are Hollywood-made . Here Penelope Cruz adds the Italian language to a resume full of English and Spanish speaking roles. ¨Twice born¨ seems to be be a family film , because it has been written , produced and directed by parents ; as Penélope Cruz acted and produced , her brother Eduardo Cruz composed an adequate soundtrack ; Sergio Castellitto played , wrote , produced and directed , his wife Margaret Mazzantini wrote the novel and their son Prieto played an important role .

This attractive Italian/Spanish film was well produced by Guido De Laurentiis, Piero Amati ,Jaime Ortiz De Artiñano , Roberto Sessa , Fernando Bovaira , which got critics and moviegoers polarized in their opinions. The R-rated drama film was screened in a handful of theaters in the U.S. but its biggest audience is on the DVD. The motion picture was well directed by Sergio Castellitto . He is an actor and writer, known for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), The star maker (1995) and Don't move (2004) in which he also directed to Penélope Cruz . Sergio has been married to Margaret Mazzantini since 1987 , a known writer who wrote this film and Don't move , they have four children , on of them results to be Pietro Castellitto . Rating : Above average , worthwhile watching .

This movie was panned by the critics. It a has 19% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The audience gives it 73%. The audience is right. This movie is a treasure. Most of the negative reviews come from Americans who, I am sure, never watched this lovely film. The Americans make a habit of lying. Their film critics are no exception. There is no way that all of those negative reviews come from people who have seen this movie. I often marvel at the factual mistakes in mainstream press reviews and have long suspected that they will review a movie they have not seen. This movie proves my thesis. Audience reviews are a much better barometer of whether a movie is worth one's time or not. This is definitely worth your time. Easily among the best of 2012. It never puts a foot wrong and builds to a most unexpected but satisfying conclusion. Perhaps love does not conquer all but it is the most resilient of our gifts as this film so ably shows.