Sicilian Ghost Story

Directing: 8 Acting: 7 Story: 6 Production values: 8 Suspence / Thriller level: 7 Action: 3 Mystery / unknown: 4 Romance level: 9 Comedy elements: 1

The title is a bit of a misnomer, as SICILIAN GHOST STORY is a lyrical drama Co-Directed and Co-Written by the team of Fabio Grassandonia and Antonio Piazza. Inspired by the true story of the disappearance of a teenage boy in 1993, the movie isn't a documentation of the case as much as it takes off from the memories of that incident. Grassandonia and Piazza transform those memories into a Romeo & Juliet style fable, even though the lovers here kiss but once. Luna (Julia Jedikowska) and Giussppe (Gaetano Fernandez) have no sooner come together when they are violently thrust apart (needless to say, a certain Sicilian organized crime group is involved). The Directors take a while to build to what they are aiming for. The actors are good with Jedikowska being particularly winsome and determined. Once the movie's phantasmagorical aspects come to the fore, the second half gains its footing. The Directors were fortunate to pair up with a couple of master Director Paolo Sorrentino's (THE GREAT BEAUTY, YOUTH) collaborators in Critiano Travaglioli (editing) and Luca Bigazzi (cinematography) and they assist immeasurably in fulfilling their vision. The locations are well-chosen, including the key Agrigento ruins. While not the horror film the title promises, SICILIAN GHOST STORY is an engrossing tale of its own. It very much plays like the kind of legend the island locales might tell years from now. The one about the girl who loved too much.

Poetic, bitter, mixing fairy tale atmosphere and slices of captivity, using the eyes of young actors, the gestures of adults, the map of teenager world as lead ingredients of a touchinng, impressive film about a victim and about a love story and about Mafia. A film giving not exactly a pledge or a portrait of crime. But wise picture of fall. About cruelty , about vulnerability, about silence, about dreams. Nothing new. But useful. Maybe, for the right manner to say a profound dark truth.

This is a beautifully made if really tragic love story. Tremendous acting from the two leads. Very powerful in its telling.

If you want something different, powerful and poignant,vthen this is for you.

The young actors were pretty good, but I think the pacing of the drama let it down, and there seemed to be confusion about how magical to let the magical realism become.