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Malena
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Synopsis
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. Malèna was written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, best known for the art-house hit Nuovo Cinema Paradiso; Malèna was released in Europe at 106 minutes, while the American version was edited by ten minutes to tighten the pace and remove nudity and sexual material considered too strong for the U.S. marketplace. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast

Pietro Notarianni Professor Bonsignore
Monica Bellucci Malena Scordia
Luciano Federico Renato's father
Giuseppe Sulfaro Renato Amoroso
Matilde Piana Renato's mother
Gaetano Aronica Nino Scordia
Gilberto Idonea Centorbi

Production Crew

Lajos Koltai Cinematographer
Ennio Morricone Composer (Music Score)
Maurizio Millenotti Costume Designer
Giuseppe Tornatore Director
Massimo Quaglia Editor
Bob Weinstein Executive Producer
Fabrizio Lombardo Executive Producer
Mario Spedaletti Executive Producer
Alberto Mangiante First Assistant Director
Mario Cotone Line Producer
Harvey Weinstein Producer
Francesco Frigeri Production Designer
Giuseppe Tornatore Screenwriter
Bruno Cesari Set Designer
Gaetano Carito Sound/Sound Designer
Year: 2000
Runtime: 106
Country: Italy
MPAA Rating: R
for sexuality/nudity, language and some violence
Category: Feature

Genre
Drama

Color type
Cinecitta color

Sound
Dolby Digital

Produced by
Medusa Produzione
Miramax

Release
November 22, 2000 (USA - Limited)
by Miramax

Awards
2000 - Best Foreign Film - National Board of Review
2000 - Best Foreign Language Film - British Academy Awards
2000 - Best Foreign Language Film - Golden Globe
2000 - Best Foreign Language Film - British Academy of Film and Television
2000 - Best Foreign Language Film - Hollywood Foreign Press Association