Veloz Como o Vento

This is a very enjoyable film. It's unpretentious, not particularly earth shattering and doesn't give any great moral message, but it's a fun drama, well filmed with some nice scenery and some amusing plot developments. The cast do a great job and I became engrossed in the story as the character interactions became more involved. The technical details were convincing and all in all the production values were pretty good. I didn't know before watching that it was based on a true story, and this ensured that the plot was not schmaltzy and predictable; there were some funny diversions, but these were in keeping with the characters and not unrealistic. The ending was clever which is always a plus. Watching it with English subtitles while listening to the Italian was also great. It definitely enhanced my vocabulary due to the colloquialisms and levels of slang :-)

'Veloce come il vento' (which translates 'fast as the wind' - but got the English title Italian Race is a quite original combination between a teen drama, a car races story (including the corresponding stunts) and a moralistic story about what (mostly bad) drugs do to people. All is based on a true story, or at least the true characters of a brother and sister in a race cars pilots family. The result is a fresh film, with enough drama and good acting to keep the interest of the viewers and confirm that the Italian cinema is the place where one can find lately more and more interesting films.

Giulia de Martino (Matilda De Angelis) is racing cars although she is just 17 and does not even have a driving license. This is apparently possible in Italy especially if you are born into a car racing family, and her father is trainer and mentor. The film actually opens with the death of her father, and we are soon in family drama territory, with a drug addicted brother showing up and settling in the house which is also inhabited by the younger brother. To keep the house the girl must go on racing, and the unsettling brother proves to be an ex-pilot, fallen out of the path of life or races because of his addiction. What follows is a combination of coming-to-age and family drama combined with spectacular car races, and some melodrama. We eventually learn that the smile on the face of a kid is more important that money, or even houses, or even winning in car races.

Much of the film attraction is due to the splendid performances of the two lead actors Stefano Accorsi and Matilda De Angelis . Accorsi's character who sees his life destroyed by drugs but keeps trying to be a good person is poignant, while De Angelis is smart and beautiful and her work here may draw the attention of the international scene, she has all the looks and skills for success. Director Matteo Rovere seems to specialized in films about the problems of teenagers, here is broadening the scope with the exploration of the world of the car races (legal and illegal). The result is a film which looks fresh and true and keeps the interest of viewers even if car races or teenagers problems are not their preferred themes.

The circuit of rally is as the structure of the musical fugue: the voices are repeated in slight variations like the curves of the circuit. But the movie is as an unfinished and predictable race

How could be possible to be able to dedicate this movie to our dear friend and exceptional rally driver Carlo Capone it sounds to me shameful! Carlo Capone never got close to the drugs world or even expressed any approval about it! He always been an incredible talent and an European Rally Champion of in-discussed capacity and value, that some disagreeable company/business decisions could take /bring him down. His health conditions have no relations to drugs abuse or addiction.. the problem is of psychological origin. Problem originated by the non acknowledgement of his fantastic capability and authoritativeness driving top rally cars at the highest level. The movie is well far from paint an accurate image of the car racing world, that in the reality is serious minded and professional. The actors have done a very good job on a grey fantasy story that somebody have tried to corroborate/validated with a dedication totally out of place! Honor and friendship to our mistreated friend Carlo Capone.

Finally, Italian cinema is ACTUALLY starting to come out! From "Perfect Strangers", to "They called him Jeeg Robot" to this! Stefano Accorsi is absolutely fantastic and so is Matilda De Angelis. The music is really gripping, just like the story. It's very well developed without stupid "pushes" for the plot to go forward. The relationship between Stefano and Matilda (brother and sister in the film) is near perfect, and emotional at times. The contrast between a young girl and her brother, who is a drug addict, is portrayed in such a subtle manner that it outshines most big productions, and proves you don't need a huge budget to make a good film. It is, truly, a beautiful Italian film. The type we haven't seen for a very long time.