Luce dei miei occhi

LIGHT OF MY EYES ('Luce dei miei occhi') is more a fantasia on theme of loneliness and need for love than it is a straightforward narrative story. Under the direction of Giuseppe Piccioni, who co-wrote the screenplay with Umberto Contarello, it shimmers like and extended poem, a theme so delicate and so suffused with melancholy that it remains as an echo long after the film is over.

Antonio (Luigi Lo Cascio) is a sweet dreamer who respects his station in life as a chauffeur for customers about Rome, following the rule of 'Know when to talk and when to shut up' his boss has set as the standard. In his lonely ennui Antonio narrates his life in a voice-over monologue as a man named Morgan, a character with whom he identifies from his science fiction novel. His life takes on some meaning when he prevents an accident from happening with a young girl Lisa (Barbara Valente) who lives a lonely life with her lonely mother Maria (Sandra Ceccarelli) whose life is divided among making a living in a not too successful frozen food shop, a frustrating sexual attachment to a cold married man, and trying to hold her little home together since her husband's absence. Gradually Antonio's act of protecting Lisa is acknowledged by Maria and while Antonio is quite taken with the distant Maria, Maria thanks him in a brief and passionate but isolated sexual experience. Maria is needy, Antonio is needy, Lisa is needy, but somehow the connection cannot be made: Maria must concentrate on her lack of income to support Lisa.

Antonio, seeing the need to assist Maria's financial situation, allows himself to accept a chauffeur job that involves illegal smuggling of foreigners. Maria's response to her desperate situation is to allow Lisa to be cared for by her grandparents. In a moment suggestive of the old Christmas tale where the man buys combs for his wife's hair while the wife sells her hair to by a gift for her husband, Maria and Antonio face the misunderstanding of their 'friendship' and all seems lost until each changes a significant event that opens a communal door of caring and hope for something more for the little trio.

Both Lo Cascio and Ceccarelli are fine actors and make these difficult roles wholly credible. The atmosphere of the film is well defined by the adroit camera work of Arnaldo Catinari and enhanced by the musical score by Ludovico Einaudi. This is one of those very small films that may evade the casual film-goer not only due to the inappropriately poor DVD cover art but also by the lack of proper promotion. It is a word of mouth success in this country. In Italian with English subtitles. Grady Harp

Is there a real science fiction story, about Morgan, the earthling? I was unable to see the titles of the science fiction books being read in the movie.

Antonio is a "goody-goody two-shoes" whose mother dressed him in a coat and tie, since he was little. In his escape to Rome, and his accidental encounter with Lisa, he lets himself veer off course, into alien territory: he lets himself get out of his comfortable character, in pursuit of Maria, Lisa's mother.

The kind understanding and advice of his employer tells the story that this is a very old tale of a man's being enamored of a woman who is not for him.

Sometimes it isn't always love at first sight for both of the people involved and you actually have to work at it. That's true for most of us and most of us never have the courage to keep walking such a tenuous thread for another person. This has become my most cherished and favorite film. I love to watch it late at night on weekends - this really brings the atmosphere and music of the film to life. And such a wonderful ambient soundtrack that is woven throughout the film! Settle in one evening with your significant other and put this one on - it will heighten your perception of your relationship and make you appreciate just how much easier it was for the two of you to get together than for the couple in the film.

The title of this film "Luce dei miei occhi" translates from Italian to English to mean "Through the light of my eyes" and how appropriate. This is one of the most realistic movies that reflects the true nature of how cruel and one sided some relationships and liaisons can be. Most movies of this genre are so predictable and to some extent,- extremely unrealistic, simply because men are always portrayed as the selfish cold hearted instigator to jeopardize relationships. What makes this movie more unique is that there is no third party to cause rivalry for this woman's affection.

Without giving too much away, we have here a lonely taxi driver who is a true gentleman with honourable intentions, that falls for a single mother (of a young daughter) who remains coldly indifferent to his love and commendable contributions. She runs a frozen food store and he eventually learns that she is heavily in debt to some loan shark, so he decides to help with payments without her knowledge. He goes to extreme lengths to help her by also striking some deal in chauffeuring her creditor. In the movie, he narrates his experiences by modeling similarities to the themes of non related events in some Science fiction novels,which are his other passion and that he feels like an alien from another planet without any sense of belonging.

Although she is not at fault for her lack of affection towards him, this movie can be extrapolated further, because it does not have to be just the lack of appreciation from a woman towards a man's love, but the lack of appreciation from any other person, purely due to a missing charm. I am not one to be blown away by love stories, however, there is a moral to this movie that generalizes beyond a conjugal relationship, which affects us all in one way or another, even if it may be just between siblings. This demonstrates that it is not what you do for another to be appreciated, but whether they like you or not. Many of us can relate to this fact whether it is for affection from a partner, appreciation for contributions towards the workplace that go beyond the call of duty, countless efforts towards a friendship or even time towards a charitable cause. It is not what you do for a cause, but whether the recipient likes you or not.

Antonio is a driver. He travels across the roads on a life on his own, made of fantasy and suggestions. Maria the impossible love to conquer, the epitome of a modern "it's complicated" girl. But how can you such a strong feeling? This time it's love driving Antonio out of it's imaginary immature world.

Music ( heck out talented Ludovico Einaudi works http://www.einaudiwebsite.com ) and lights (here he's a Gisueppe Piccioni interview for Terna's web magazine "Eye on Energy" http://tiny.sm/piccioni ) blends into one arising as a real character.

Gisueppe Piccioni shooting it's as brilliant and vibrant as falling in love.