La siciliana ribelle

Someone tells you one word: "Sicily". Quick, quick, what do you think? you think of Godfather scenes, of rolling rural landscapes, societies scarred by vendettas and inter-family violence, closeups of old rugged facial lineaments, scenes of emigration on rural lifestyle.

Now, the true Sicily is much different, with modern office buildings, people holding cell phones and having business meetings, and a much more urban society.

For a motion picture financed and produced just a few years ago, and supposedly on a modern story, this production was a disappointment. Totally stereotypical. I mean, Antonioni's "L'Avventura" from forty years earlier looks much more modern.

Obviously, the producers wanted to create a cash cow and sell it to the American audience, still nostalgic of the GF series. Smart movie-goers can easily see through the facade, and not like this production. The producers think that the audience is stupid enough to see their stereotypical work.

If you want to see a motion picture that portrays modern Italy with its crime-ridden background, see Gomorrah.

This is a movie I would see again and again. The is the kind of film that pays tribute to the true cinematic experience: a perfectly told story with beautiful cinematography that lets us move along with the characters and took the necessary time to let us care about these people. Wonderfully directed, with awesome performances by the actors. While some directors might have chosen more violent scenes in this true account of going up against the mafia, Marco Amenta chose something we don't see too much in films anymore: imagination. This film unfolded rather than assaulted, tantalized rather than terrorized.

Bravo!

Sicily and mafia. It would be a first thought an average person would have, however unjust or unfair it might be. " The Sicilian Girl" is a strange, a bit clunky movie, torn between the court drama and passionate bloody opera. The medieval, macabre, isolated world of rural Sicily, with its outdated sense of honor and codes of conduct, that nobody else would understand or relate to. The heroine of this movie is a strong willed, privileged young woman, trying to avenge the death of her father and brother. Gradually, she manages to accept the fact that they both, were criminals, like the people she hated. The movie is missing something hard to explain,firmer shape, and there is a bad choice of casting the unfortunate leading actress prone to overacting.

As I have always said, and as I always will, WHO, better the Italians, cook pasta OR speak about mafia, true, genuine mafia, from the small villages in Sicily, Sardinia, or even big cities such as Naples or Rome? Like Russians talking about Gulag or Tchernobyl disaster; who better than them? No one. So, back to this Italian film, I don't compare it with those polizzotescos - pure Italian crime flicks that spread in the seventies - where mafia was mostly - not always though - shown thru endless gunfights with machine guns and car chases, movies destined to saturday evening red necks - or not - audiences. No, this one belongs to another category, the movies describing the mafia thru the eyes of the common people and the police force who fought against the "octopuss". Those movies were mostly directed by the likes of Francesco Rosi, Damiano Damiani, Pasquale Squieteri, very gloomy and downbeat stories. Because so close to real facts, real history. This one makes no exception, it is very well done in every way; yes, Italians are real professionals when they speak of mafia. More than they make westerns....

One of the reviewers (from Minneapolis) said "bad choice of casting the leading actress prone to overacting." Nope. Growing in a NY Neapolitan/Sicilian neighborhood, I didn't see her overacting. That's just the way my BFFs were. Dramatic. Passionate. Over the top. I found her performance an honest portrayal. (And laughed at the scene where the cop buys her colorful clothes, b/c everyone in NY, Sicilian or not...wears black.) PS: My family visited Sicily the year this trial took place. I remember the guards w/Uzis both out side the Palace of Justice and in the airport.

And I'd give this movie an 8.5.