À corps perdus

Here is a movie which is better than the book it is adapted from. Not unlike film version of "the Hours", the film version of "Non Ti Muovere - Don't Move" surpasses the quality of the book. Castellito proves that not only is he one of the best actors in Italy but he is also a first-rate movie director. His directing puts in an amazing load of emotions into a story which was depicted rather coldly in the book. The scene where Castellito-Timeteo has a fight with Cruz-Italia after she announces that she underwent an abortion is worthy of movie anthologies. One of the best surprises of the film is undoubtedly Penelope Cruz that emerges from the castrating roles in Hollywood and proves herself as an emotionally intense actress. I hope the film receives the acclaim it deserves in its showing at the Cannes Festival in May.

It's so unfair that great movies like this one are the ones that nobody heard off. Here in Portugal was one of the underdogs in theaters, for great pity of mine. If you have the idea that Penelope Cruz is just a pretty woman that lost her talent when began working in the USA, you're wrong. We can see a real actress in this movie, we can see what she can really do. It's a beautiful drama story, with simple characters, where a man, a doctor with a nice social position, married and supposily happy meets the woman of his life in the ugly, poor and incredibly sad Italia ( Penelope crux). All I can say is please watch it because it's just brilliant.

Watching this movie I couldn't stop thinking of a great Italian novel, "Un amore" (probably translated in English as "A love") by Dino Buzzati. Both treat the subject of an impossible love, but Buzzati's is much more concrete and much better. "Non ti muovere" lacks psychological insight, the characters seem too void, the relationships between them don't have that something that would make them seem real.It's very possible that one simply doesn't get it. This could and should have been an interesting depiction of a middle-age crisis, of a person who just doesn't fit in the picture that it's his life, but instead it's a seemingly meaningless love story, with an unaesthetic Penelope Cruz, who, unfortunately for her is no great actress.

A groundbreaking and agonizing Italian modern cinema movie, which apparently caused some controversy due to its violent rape scene. Not a huge fan of Penelope Cruz, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well she fit in with the character. As a director, Castellitto has done an exceptional job in managing to turn a somewhat unrealistic scenario into a truly down-to-earth passionate story. I am sure that his wife and co-director Mazzantini shares much of that credit. I thought the the last scene could have been developed better as it seemed to indicate a typical old-school Italian ending. It was interesting to note the dazed look on the faces of many people in the audience once the movie was over.

In Australia we are fortunate to have 3 or 4 festivals each year showcasing the latest films from France, Germany, Greece and Italy. "Don't look Now" is screening as part of the Italian one

Sergio Castellitto is quite well known here, perhaps mainly for his lead role in "Mostly Martha" where he shone. He brings a great presence to the screen although his character here is darker than the outgoing Italian chef in Martha.

"Don't Look Now" is a riveting story of a surgeon sitting in the waiting room of a hospital where he works with his 15 yo daughter and only child seriously injured fighting for her life in the operating room. Whilst waiting he recounts the crucial moments in his life and mainly his sordid and violent (his) relationship with Cruz, a derelict young woman and the interplay and very much parallel life with his wife, a successful journalist played by Claudia Gerini who looks very much like an Italian Diane Lane.. beautiful hair, classical looks.

The contrast between his married homelife and Cruz situation is black and white. His house overlooks a beautiful beach, Cruz's is in a dusty hellhole in the middle of a construction site.

This film makes perfect use of flashbacks something I normally detest particularly ones that move in reverse order like Momento or the French Film "Irreversible"

The rape scene between Cruz and Castellitto is much briefer than that in "Irreversible" but just as uncomfortable to watch.

I couldn't quite work out the attraction between Cruz's and Castellitto's characters as there was no gentleness in his approach at first (it was rape) but somehow he falls in love with her.

But there is a lot to enjoy here and a lot to think about afterwards. It is the sort of movie that you should see once and could see a number of times to get all the angles.

For Cruz this could perhaps be compared to Halle Berry's performance in Monsters Ball or Charlene Theron's in Monster. But unlike these other two films, Cruz's character is only one of the 3 or 4 varied relationships Castellitto's character has in the film. These relationships and how they interplay is why it is such an interesting movie.