Renato is a 13-year-old boy growing up in a small Sicilian community. Mussolini has risen to power and has declared war upon England and France, but Renato has other things on his mind - mostly girls. While hanging out with his friends by the seashore, Renato spies Malena, the daughter of one of his schoolteachers, whose husband Nino is fighting with Mussolini's army. Renato is immediately obsessed with Malena and follows her like a lost puppy, spying on her whenever circumstances permit and imagining her as his co-star in elaborate erotic fantasies inspired by his favorite movies. Renato, however, is hardly the only man in town to be struck by Malena's charms, and her beauty leads to resentment from the women of the community. Malena's circumstances take a turn for the worst after her husband is reported to have died in combat, and she is forced to resort to prostitution to survive.
Warning: This film is in Italian with English subtitles. The subtitles didn't take away from the film since it's very visual without a ton of dialog. It's a pretty good coming of age tale and love story with a few twists thrown in for good measure. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. It flowed well and I never looked at my watch to see how much time was left - meaning it was engaging. The actors were great and they had good chemistry. Overall, I would suggest this film if you're looking for something unique that you wouldn't see in an American theater - don't worry, it has a good plot and is not too "artsy".
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro
I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
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