Respiro (2002)

76% of critics liked it
(84 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(3,321 ratings)

Italian director Emanuele Crialese's Respiro tells an intimate tale of a family living in a quiet fishing community. Grazia (Valeria Golino) is deeply committed to her husband Pietro (Vincenzo Amato) and their children, as well as stray dogs. She suffers from extreme mood swings that result in… More Italian director Emanuele Crialese's Respiro tells an intimate tale of a family living in a quiet fishing community. Grazia (Valeria Golino) is deeply committed to her husband Pietro (Vincenzo Amato) and their children, as well as stray dogs. She suffers from extreme mood swings that result in serious physical attacks in times of high anxiety. Pietro decides to send her to get help, but this prompts Grazia to run away. She survives with the help of her son Pasquale (Francesco Casisa). Respiro was screened during Critics Week at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Emanuele Crialese
Written By: Emanuele Crialese
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: May 23, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Oct 21, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A sad, slight film but with a sweet, smooth finish that makes you feel richer for having watched and absorbed and felt.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
A small, sensual and unforgettable Italian drama that transports us to a place wonderfully exotic yet strangely familiar.
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
A beautifully scenic but languid character study that could use a shot of adrenalin and a more straightforward story line.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
A quietly disarming drama by Emanuele Crialese that tugs at family ties and calls into question the conventional definition of 'normal.'
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Valeria Golino proves she can act as good as she looks.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Somewhere along the way, Respiro just seems to run out of breath.
Matt Kelemen, Las Vegas CityLife
Crialese's stated purpose is to create a sense of magical realism, and even as he draws on an actual fable to do so, there's an incomplete feeling to the production.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
It is sort of the opposite of 'Northern Exposure' where everyone is quirky, and loving it. Here, quirkiness is opposed strongly.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Respiro begins as a portrait of a woman who refuses to abide by the conventions of the comunity and ends with a bit of inspired magical realism.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Though the story is warmly humanistic it is too paper thin to mean much.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
We're slouched back with our heads resting on the tops of the seats, relaxing and letting our minds leap out of our heads to spend 95 minutes at play in Lampedusa.
Oz, eFilmCritic.com
A mixture of great Italian cinema and fluffy silliness.
Steve Schneider, Orlando Weekly
An inviting performance by Golino and some outstanding underwater photography enliven director/writer Emanuele Crialese's adaptation of an Italian legend.