Malèna

A gorgeous, voluptuous woman is the object of attention in this World War II period piece, set in an Italian town. The star is a horny 13-year-old who fantasizes about a relationship with this grown woman, "Malena," a sexy lady who gets all the mens' attention in the town, and all the wrath of the jealous town women.

This is a strange film at times but beautifully filmed and almost always interesting. Monica Bellucci is indeed a feast for any male's eyes. She is almost beyond description, looks-wise. What happens to her, unfairly, near the end is not pleasant. Otherwise, it's a pretty humorous film in segments, especially with dialog between the young kid and his dad. Some of the lines there and at other places made me laugh right out loud. Some of the language is not really profane but it's certainly crude. The kid is not that likable nor are his friends.

There is a such a mixture of genres in here that is makes the movie fresh almost every time I see it, which has been three times so far.

Malena is a beautiful and deeply touching film. It is a masterful combination of sites, sounds and colors. The two leading actors (Monica Bellucci and Giuseppe Sulfaro) are simply excellent at what they are supposed to convey in this movie. Apart from her truly majestic elegance, Monica Bellucci invests her character (Malena) with an aura of tragedy, of some profound and unrelenting emotional trauma and pain which remains unspoken throughout the film and reaches its climax at the very end. Malena's stunningly beautiful eyes remain constantly downcast, and her face -- tense and pierced through by psychic pain (she rarely raises her face, let alone speaks words). Renato (the teenage boy) wins his audience by his incredibly pure and valiant love for Malena (this affection he carries in his heart for several years). She becomes his muse, his courage, his sense of honor, his whole rationale for confronting difficult and disruptive life of the war-torn Italy. I agree completely with another commentator who said that the ending of the movie is perhaps one of the most genuinely melancholic moments in modern cinematography. Simply brilliant. Superb music! This movie should be watched several times to be fully appreciated.

The film is developed on WWII in a small town from Sicily,there live an adolescent(Renato)coming of age,he is obsessed of a married woman(Monica Belucci)whose husband was to the war.The young man tries to help her but he is enamored and is too young .We see him growing up during a few years and by Malena he changes his life forever.

The picture contains drama and nostalgia completely wrapped in an enjoyable love story between an innocent young boy and a beautiful woman.The movie gets a sharply social critical about village customs,habits and gossips leading to mistreats and violence. The story is narrated with great sense and sensibility,the intelligent screenplay is by Luciano Vincenzoni(Sergio Leone's usual screenwriter).Gorgeous Monica Bellucci is sensational although she barely talks throughout the movie and the starring boy is sympathetic and agreeable;another actors are good but they are unknown.Glowing cinematography with scenarios colorfully and splendidly photographed by Lajos Koltai who reflects the elegant beauty Monica Belucci.Sensible and moving score musical by the veteran master and prolific Ennio Morricone who was nominated with a deserved Academy Award.The picture is produced by the great American brothers producers:Harvey and Bob Weinsten and well directed by Giuseppe Tornatore who made a similar nostalgic film,the excellent¨Cinema Paradise¨. Ratting :Better than average,well worth watching by a beautiful,exceptional Monica Bellucci.

I found the film to be visually hypnotic and very moving. I was also impressed with the film maker's story telling technique. The film brought me into the bustling street life of the Sicilian village by eye-level camera work and the comments of the people in crowded scenes, through which I was taken with the characters. Just like walking down a busy urban street anywhere with your ears and eyes open. The film made me wake up to the fact that so much American film, perhaps all contemporary film, is composed mainly of close ups with two or a few people. Not this film. There is a sequence with airplanes overhead that is absolutely dizzying without any fancy 3-D or pyrotechnic effects. Mr. Tornatore brilliantly uses silent stares, pairs of eyes and silly dream sequences with amazing effect. The male lead, an adolescent boy, is portrayed with great empathy by Giuseppe Sulfaro without schmaltz or sanitizing, so typical in American films about puberty. The title role, played well by a dazzling Monica Bellucci, could have been written for a young Sophia Loren. (My dream sequence, I guess) My favorite character was Renato's father, hilariously played by Luciano Federico. A must see.

Firstly, this movie is a perfect lesson about Sexual Exploitation and Harassment.

As a man it touches my heart when seeing an innocent and faithful woman how community and war impacts made her to undesirable whore!

By this movie's story you understand that there are too many women victims like Malena!

Another lesson is for governments to not ignore the war made widows.

Overall, it's a great movie 👏