Malena (2000)

Kino

Love the Hard Way

Film.com's FREE movie of the week is "Love the Hard Way." Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Charlotte Ayanna star in this drama about a thief who falls for a curious, beautiful young woman. As their intimacy grows, a slick cop (Pam Greer) is closing in.

CinemaSource

Studio: Miramax Films

Rating: R

Release Date: Dec 25, 2000

Running Time: 106 mins. (V)

Additional Notes: dialogue Italian

Country Of Origin: Italy

Country Of Origin: United States

starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana, Pietro Notarianni, Gaetano Aronica, Gilberto Idonea, Angelo Pellegrino, Gabriella Di Luzzio, Pippo Provvidenti

director: Giuseppe Tornatore

In Sicily during World War II, 13-year-old Renato and his pals become infatuated with Malena, a beautiful young war widow who is the obsession of every man and the envy of every woman. However, when news of the death of Malena's husband arrives, Malena's beauty turns into a curse. No longer protected from male advances by her marital status, she becomes fair game. As various men pursue her, their jealous wives begin spreading the word that Malena is a floozy, a rumor that the men are only too eager to believe. After a local lawyer helps her clear her name from a jealous wife's lawsuit, he demands payment in ways that Malena is not prepared to provide.

January 9, 2001

Malena, set in Sicily during World War II, offers the gorgeous sight of Monica Bellucci in the title role. So it seems churlish to complain that writer-director Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) is covering territory better marked by Federico Fellini and Vittorio De Sica. Bellucci is a stunner who recalls Sophia Loren in her ripe, voluptuous prime. Malena, the wife of an absent soldier, tries to maintain her distance from the lustful gazes of men in the town of Castelcuto. But no male is…