Too many fans seem to be blown away
Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant
I gave it a 7.5 out of 10
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
View MoreBAARIA is another masterwork form the consummate film artist Giuseppe Tornatore. Tornatore is so highly regarded in Italy and Sicily that famous actors fight for the opportunity to work in one of his luminous films, agreeing to take minute walk on roles just to be near the director: Monica Belluci, Ángela Molina, Beppe Fiorello, Raoul Bova etc. This film deserves close attention form the viewer - and in some ways it may be better to view the DVD's Interview with Giuseppe Tornatore BEFORE watching this film so that the writer/director's concept and technique is understood before the story unfolds.Baarìa is Sicilian slang for Bagheria where Tornatore was born and this is an autobiographic epic of three generations in the Sicilian village where he was born. It begins in the 1920's where Giuseppe "Peppino" Torrenuova lives with his brother Nino and his parents in a hovel. They are so poor that Peppino's father advises him to become a shepherd in order to help support the family. Peppino progresses to taking a cow around the town to fill the milk buckets of the townspeople, struggles through school, progresses to young adulthood when he falls in love with Mannina and going against Mannina's family's dream of having their daughter marry money, the two elope - in the home of Mannina! - and it is here that the characters become the adults who carry the film. Of note, Tornatore elected to cast the main characters with little known Sicilian actors: Peppino is Francesco Scianna and Mannina is Margareth Madè - both brilliant in their roles. From this point the time passes through historical references to Il Duce, the mafia, WW II and the coming of the Americans, but more important is Peppino's idealistic concept that his future lies in politics. He becomes a Communist, rises in the ranks, eventually even visiting Moscow to meet with Stalin, and returns to Baaria to help the people struggle for land reform and socialism, all the while he continues to have children with Mannina and follow his dreams of being a successful politician, a dream that is as fragile as it is unattainable.The film flashes back and forth in time and has no linear story line: Tornatore is more interested in taking snippets of his memories of his past life growing up in Baaria than he is in keeping the audience clear about the characters who flash in and out of the story. His use of children is magical - they seem more wise in their innocence that the adults. But take the movie for what it is - a mélange of remembered moments in the writer/director's life - and witness some of the most beautiful moments ever created for the screen, such as the eventual death of Peppino's father who passes his wisdom to his son, and Peppino's advice to this oldest son as the son takes the train to Rome: the son asks 'Why do people call us hotheaded?' to which Peppino answers 'Because we think we can embrace the Universe, but our arms are too short.' Peppino's wisdom he passes to his son is to follow his heart at all costs and there will he find satisfaction. This film is overflowing in such moments and watching it is like opening a treasure trunk full of dazzlingly memories. The musical score by the evergreen Ennio Morricone is absolutely one of his finest - a score the composer created in conjunction with Tornatore.There is a problem with the DVD that hopefully someone will solve: the English subtitles (the film is in Italian and Sicilian) are very difficult to read - so bleached out are they over backgrounds of bright Sicilian light. It is a post-production flaw that needs to be corrected for non Italian speaking audiences, but even with that minor problem, this is one of the most touching and tender and emotionally satisfying films this viewer has ever seen. 10 stars! Grady Harp
View MoreA Tornatore movie. Seductive, nostalgic, nice, childish. But, in same measure, boring on many slices. That is not very strange. "Baaria" is a confession. Honest, pathetic, impressive. Any detail, any image of shadow is ingredient of this filmed novel about himself. A ethic duty makes the director to tell a story with many faces, baroque clothes, heavy, hush and not sweet. But the key is in final. Twoo boys searching. And looking the essence of theirs run. Small peaces of magic, answers to dusty questions. In this moment, the life of humble communist is more than a page from huge library. It is heart of every hope and beginning of every adventure. "Baaria" is not another "Malena" and it is not phrase from de Sica. It is way to define a poor world as any text of a Franz Kafka. Words who must be lives. Theirs sons, theirs colors or face is more important than a masterpiece. A message in a bottle. Or legend of a warm/cold time.
View More"Baaria" is definitely a movie to be seen. It's not Jet Lee. It's not Brangelina. It's a movie, not fast food. Tornatore has put all his nostalgia and memories in it. There is a lot to explore and to understand. The movie is full of interesting characters, there is a little magic too, with the old woman that appears just in pasta time. What we see is not the saga of a boy, but the saga of a whole country. Its run-time is more than the usual, 163 minutes, but once you get in the movie you won't mind unless you have Big Brother to watch at home. There is a bit of "Cinema Paradiso" in Baaria, there are bits that remind you of "The Starmaker" there is something of "Malena" too. But Baaria stands of itself. If you like Tornatore, this movie is not gonna let you down.
View MoreThe film is clearly autobiographical about the movie director Guisseppe Tornatore and his Sicilian family life. It is a drama without in any way being really dramatic or spectacular. i call it a pretty film because there are lots of pretty scenes of Italy and of people moving about the scenes reflecting Sicilian life - but whats the story? I didn't really find one here in this movie, so nothing to grip me.I don't speak Italian and so I watched the movie on DVD with English subtitles which are translated well enough for me to understand. It is a shame it failed in nomination to the best foreign language for Oscar 2010 but there were strong candidates this year in this category.The beauty of this film is in the filming and in the colourful dialogues not so much in the story. An enjoyable movie and one which makes a pleasant change from all the American rubbish dished out from Hollywood. Nothing rubbish about this movie, it is a very fine film indeed.
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