Malena (2000)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Sanjaya &

  
  I must give another thumbs up for Guiseppe Tornatore for making another great and memorable movie titled Malena... Especially he make the right cast for putting Monica Bellucci as the beautiful Malena and Guiseppe Sulfaro as Renato... An extra credit for Sulfaro for Renato that… More
  I must give another thumbs up for Guiseppe Tornatore for making another great and memorable movie titled Malena... Especially he make the right cast for putting Monica Bellucci as the beautiful Malena and Guiseppe Sulfaro as Renato... An extra credit for Sulfaro for Renato that great... He looks like a boy who obsessed with Malena... Overall, it's a nice movie to be watched... But still for me, Cinema Paradiso is Tornatore's best...

• Luke B

  
  Malena is another heartfelt tale of growing up from director Tornatore. It shows a young boys first love/lust as he falls for a woman in his home town. All the men love her and all the women hate her. What starts as vicious rumours and wolf whistles soon turns more tragic. We always… More
  Malena is another heartfelt tale of growing up from director Tornatore. It shows a young boys first love/lust as he falls for a woman in his home town. All the men love her and all the women hate her. What starts as vicious rumours and wolf whistles soon turns more tragic. We always see Malena from the perspective of our protagonist, so you would think she wouldn't be developed well. This is kind of true. We never get to see the real Malena, but we do begin to feel for the the way the young boy does. This does build up an emotional connection and makes it even more traumatic when things turn sour. Unfortunately, the film stalls after a while. There are constant scenes of Malena walking and us hearing peoples comments about her. There are plenty of scenes showing the boy following her and fantasizing about her. It all gets rather stale, but at least the end starts changing things around. It's a wonderfully sexy film and one that does sum up adolescence rather well, but at the same time shows how repetitive and uneventful it is.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>Renato Amoroso: "I pedaled as fast as I could... as if I were escaping from longing, from innocence, from her. Time has passed, and I have loved many women. And as they've held me close... and asked if I will remember them I've said, "Yes, I will remember… More
  <i>Renato Amoroso: "I pedaled as fast as I could... as if I were escaping from longing, from innocence, from her. Time has passed, and I have loved many women. And as they've held me close... and asked if I will remember them I've said, "Yes, I will remember you." But the only one I've never forgotten is the one who never asked... Malena."</i> A young man's infatuation for a beautiful older woman blooms amidst the outbreak of World War II in this bittersweet comedy-drama from Italy. Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro) 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 Malèna (Monica Bellucci), the daughter of one of his schoolteachers, whose husband Nino (Gaetano Aronica) is fighting with Mussolini's army. Renato is immediately obsessed with Malèna 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 Malèna's charms, and her beauty leads to resentment from the women of the community. Malèna'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; she is brutally attacked by a pack of angry matrons and driven from town. Renato tries to keep track of her, and has some less than encouraging news to report when Nino turns out to be alive and finds his spouse is missing. <b><u>Review</u></b> I vividly remember seeing this film for the first time about six years ago when I was just a little young 'un and the version was dubbed and most of the scenes was edited. It was the time where I watched movies and skipped the talking parts and went straight to nude scenes and such. Don't blame me, blame the raging hormones I had at that time. So anyway, I was foraging for DVD's not too long ago and I found a copy of this film, immediately I was taken back to Memory Lane and I knew I had to buy this one. Well, after watching it for the second time (no I didn't skip to the nude scenes), I was amazed. What an amazing film. I laugh at my childhood self for not appreciating such a great film (well, can't blame him, it was the raging hormones *winkwink*). This film is touching and beautiful, the story is without a doubt one of the best that was interpreted on screen. My hats off to Giuseppe Tornatore, the director who also made 1988's <i>Cinema Nuovo Paradiso</i> for making such an ethereal movie experience. Monica Bellucci, the most beautiful woman who walked on Earth, gave a stellar performance although she only spoke a couple of times. Being in a film as a lead and barely even speaking is a tough act to achieve, you have to rely on your body language and facial expressions to convey such a tremendous character and yet she did it like a pro. The kid, Giuseppe Sulfaro on the other hand also gave a wonderful performance and yes, I envy the lucky bastard for seeing Monica's hot bod in the nude. Another amazing factor is the music of Ennio Morricone, the <i>Danny Elfman-Hans Zimmer-John Williams combined</i> of Italy. Malena is the perfect coming-of-age story, I suggest you go see it.

• Stefanie C

  
  beautifully shot coming of age tale. this is also the story of a woman, a war, and a sicilian town. how envious people can be of beauty that they are compelled to destroy it.

• Michael S

  
  Gorgeously shot, critically underrated Italian gem.

• Manu G

  
  Very good movie. When 12-year-old Renato, riding through his small Italian town on his new bicycle, sees the voluptuous Malèna, little does he know he's launching on an infatuation that will carry him through the tumultuous days of World War II. Malèna begins as an enraptured… More
  Very good movie. When 12-year-old Renato, riding through his small Italian town on his new bicycle, sees the voluptuous Malèna, little does he know he's launching on an infatuation that will carry him through the tumultuous days of World War II. Malèna begins as an enraptured depiction of Renato's adolescent mind the way he stares, hypnotized, at Malèna's garters pressing through the material of her tight skirt, or his frustrated rebellion against the indignity of wearing short pants--but soon transforms into a portrait of small-town prejudice. Malèna's looks spark lust and envy in the townspeople; when her husband dies in combat, the gossip only intensifies, to the point that Malèna is dragged into court to defend herself against accusations of adultery. When the women of the town refuse to sell her edible food at the market, Malèna has little choice but to become what she's been unjustly accused of being. At the end, a twist of fate turns this tale of longing and jealousy into a heartbreaking love story. Monica Bellucci exudes the can't-help-it eroticism that makes Malèna such a lightning rod for everyone's desires; she's like a more zaftig Isabelle Adjani. The movie seems to wander at times, but the ending has a powerful emotional impact.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Tornatore gets weak in character development, but in spite of that he manages to make an entertaining and touching film. Morricone's soundtrack and the presence of the gorgeous Monica Bellucci are the best presentation cards.

• Lanning :

  
  Sabina and Julie make this woman sound out of this world. They're right; Bellucci is stunning, both visually and as an actress. <p> Eleven years later, Tornatore revives the spirit of <i>Cinema Paradiso</i> to a certain extent. But this is not… More
  Sabina and Julie make this woman sound out of this world. They're right; Bellucci is stunning, both visually and as an actress. <p> Eleven years later, Tornatore revives the spirit of <i>Cinema Paradiso</i> to a certain extent. But this is not <i>Paradiso</i>. Still, it's much better than the redone <i>Paradiso</i>.

• Fascade F

  
  An adventure that a 13 year old boy experiences with his "crush" Malena... See this...it is a lesson on the blessings or the curse of being admired or hated as the town beauty.

• Christopher H

  
  A sexy and fun foreign coming-of-age story about one boy's obsession and a town and its rumors. Malena is both painstakingly beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, delivering a love story with a punch. Monica Bellucci embodies the character and ultimately makes this film… More
  A sexy and fun foreign coming-of-age story about one boy's obsession and a town and its rumors. Malena is both painstakingly beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, delivering a love story with a punch. Monica Bellucci embodies the character and ultimately makes this film work as well as it does.

• a b

  
  A little obsessive, a little too involved, a little too Italian.

• Bill C

  
  This movie expects you to feel a lot for two main characters who are both disconnected from society. Melena, the ideal Romanesque Italian female form and Renato the not really shy but disconnected pre-teen moving through to sexual maturity during WWII. The point of access is… More
  This movie expects you to feel a lot for two main characters who are both disconnected from society. Melena, the ideal Romanesque Italian female form and Renato the not really shy but disconnected pre-teen moving through to sexual maturity during WWII. The point of access is Renato's dogs -eye view of the world. She chooses to stay with her father while her husband is an Italian soldier sent to fight in North Africa during WWII. Her main source of amusement is walks through the village in sheer dresses and 4" pumps raising the attentions of all the immature men in the village and the ire of their wives. Eventually societal bonds start to strain near the end of the war and the tension something has to give. To all the reviewers comment on Renato's masturbatory fantasy scenes, which are more amusing than allot of the movie, Get over it. Not Italian masters movie, entendre implied, but not that bad either.

• Daisy M

  
  I don't know where to begin, as I wanted to review this Italian movie Malena. Directed by one of Italian best director Guiseppe Tornatore, who could make you laugh and cry at the same time with his movies. Malena was a good example, it was funny and also very touching,Monica… More
  I don't know where to begin, as I wanted to review this Italian movie Malena. Directed by one of Italian best director Guiseppe Tornatore, who could make you laugh and cry at the same time with his movies. Malena was a good example, it was funny and also very touching,Monica Bellucci starred here as Malena, she was the walking male fantasy of the whole village.She was just amazing in her role, with very little dialogue, so she used her body language and facial expressions, and that was spectacular.With Malena the director created the story of innocence, betrayal, despair and jealousy, all told through the imagination of an 11 year old boy called Renato, who witness the story of Malena. Cinematography it was stunning, too beautiful, and the music score was just amazing. The movie made a powerful impression and left one thinking about its story for a long time.

• Sunil J

  
  Monica Bellucci is as stunning as ever as a widow being judged by the people of her town.

• Marcus W

  
  Monica Bellucci plays (very well) a mysterious and reclusive woman who is lusted after by every man in town and hated by every woman. The whole film is seen through the eyes of a 12 year old boy and, while it's not bad, we see Monica dressing like a prostitute and spending time… More
  Monica Bellucci plays (very well) a mysterious and reclusive woman who is lusted after by every man in town and hated by every woman. The whole film is seen through the eyes of a 12 year old boy and, while it's not bad, we see Monica dressing like a prostitute and spending time in the hotel with the soldiers, then we are told that she was faithful to her husband the whole time and left wondering just what she was doing (and she DEFINITELY slept with the lawyer), only to never find out. Then a year after being cast out from the village she returns to find that everyone likes her. I really feel like I missed something.

• Dimitris S

  
  Many will accuse me of being biased but if Bellucci is the main protagonist,then it's a damn good reason am chopping stars from this.She's not a plastic dollas an actress but she's in her most decent performance to achieve yet.A beautiful landscape and reconstruction of… More
  Many will accuse me of being biased but if Bellucci is the main protagonist,then it's a damn good reason am chopping stars from this.She's not a plastic dollas an actress but she's in her most decent performance to achieve yet.A beautiful landscape and reconstruction of the era are bonus points though its shallowness when present recalls past can't reach the memories of childhood in Taviani's Chaos.

• Wu C

  
  Wonderful film and Bellucci is fantastic. See it now.

• FanGirl B

  
  Beautiful, tragic story of a beautiful woman just trying to survive.

Read all 18 featured audience ratings