Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
Emanuele Crialese's Respiro is a warmly entertaining fable that captures both the joys and hardships of living in a small Italian island fishing village. There's a raw beauty to the surroundings, particularly the gorgeous azure sea, and Crialese also explores the provincialism and backbiting inherent in living in such a small, remote community. There are aspects of life on Lampedusa that seem so backward (particularly in the way the men treat the women, but also in the way the women judge each other) that it's not immediately apparent in which era the film is set. The Patty Pravo song with which Grazia (
Valeria Golino) sings along and one unexpected reference to
Rambo clue us in. There are fine performances in the supporting roles from Vincenzo Amato (who starred in Crialese's previous feature,
Once We Were Strangers) as the insecure and taciturn Pietro, Filippo Pucillo as the steely younger son, Filippo, and Veronica D'Agostino as the blossoming teenage daughter, Marinella. But the core of the film is in the relationship between the unstable, passionate Grazia and her adoring older son, Pasquale (Francesco Casisa), who nobly tries to protect his mother when the villagers convince Pietro to send her away to an institution. The film occasionally seems overly familiar, but the strong performances from Golino and Casisa in these complex roles keep it from lapsing into cliché. The harsh details of life on Lampedusa -- from the treatment of stray dogs to the warring factions of bored teenage boys -- also ring true, keeping the film grounded in reality. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide