I'm Not Scared
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Movie Reviews of I'm Not Scared
Movie Review: Simple Storytelling Makes a Gripping Film
Summary: 5 Stars
A group of kids are playing a game that ends at an old deserted farm house. Michele goes back to finds his sister's glasses but finds more. He uncovers a hole in the ground and there is something in it.
Michele goes back to the farm the next day and finds out that there is a boy in the hole. He does not know why he is there and the boy can barely speak. He just asks for water.
Michele goes back again. This time bringing him some bread to eat. But the boy only eats a bit but won't give back the rest. Michele goes down to retrieve the rest of the loaf and comes face to face with the boy and finds out that he is chained. The Michele tries to talk to him but the boy is incoherent.
That night Michele leaves his bedroom to get something from the kitchen but there are strangers in the house. The TV is on and he finds that the boy is Fillipo. He has been kidnapped by these adults and is being held for ransome.
Michele goes back once again and delivers Fillipo's mother message to him. He finds out that Fillipo believes that his family is dead and he is soon to join them.
The next day Michele finds Fillipo cleaned up and without his shackle. Michele takes Fillipo out and the two boys play all day but when they return, Michele has been found out. Actually, Michele's best friend told one of the kidnappers that Michele has been visiting the boy. He's is told never to go back and see the boy again.
A few days later the kids are playing and one of the boys suggests they go to the deserted house. But when Michele goes to the hole, the boy is gone. Salvatore tells him that he has been moved to the caves near the main farm house. On their way back, the kids are buzzed by a series of helicopters. The kids are excited to see them but when the return to town, they find the adults are panicked.
The kidnappers are split on what to do but it is decided that Fillipo must die. This leads to one of the most heart pounding climaxes in recent cinema.
The interesting thing about this film is it is told almost entirely from Michele's point of view. There are very few scenes that he is not present. 10 year old Giuseppe Cristano is amazing as Michele and Mattia Di Piero is excellent as the kidnapped Fillipo.
Gabrielle Salvatore has once again created a beautiful film about rural Italy in a more peaceful time. This is one film to watch and enjoy.
DVD EXTRAS: NONE
Movie Review: A Child's Moral Dilemma.
Summary: 5 Stars
"I'm Not Scared" is a contemplative story set in the picturesque Italian countryside that has a heart of wrenching emotions and moral crisis. Michele (Giuseppe Cristiano) is a 10-year-old boy living with his parents and sister in rural Italy in 1978, momentarily happy that his father (Dino Abbrescia) has returned from an unexplained absence. One day Michele finds another boy (Mattia Di Pierro) being held captive in a hole in the ground just outside of his village. Both boys are imaginative and pensive by nature, and Michele doesn't immediately ask the obvious question: Why is the boy in the hole? Instead he enjoys creating fantastic scenarios to explain it. But eventually he suspects, and then understands, who is keeping the boy a prisoner.
"I'm Not Scared" is based on the novel of the same name by Niccolo Ammaniti. The film's thoughtful pace and beautiful landscapes belie the its emotional impact. The boy in the hole is in a horrific situation, and Michele is gradually coming to grips with the adult world that surrounds him, into which he has either not previously had insight or has not taken much notice. Italo Petriccione's cinematography reveals the flora and fauna of the region and gives the audience a strong sense of environment. Director Gabriele Savatores has chosen to pay particular attention to the sights and sounds of nature against which rural life plays out, especially the natural world's predators. "I'm Not Scared" exploits a clear demarcation between the worlds of adults and children. The story takes place mostly among the children, whose motivations, imaginations, and relationships exist primarily among themselves, so they sometimes behave differently than one might expect. "I'm Not Scared" is more powerful for the decision to observe the characters, not to pity them. This is one of the great films with a child protagonist. Italian with English subtitles.
The DVD: No bonus features. Subtitles are available in English or Spanish. Captioning for the hearing impaired is available in English.
Movie Review: I am not afraid
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie was so moving. I felt so involved as the story first began and ended. The setting was superb.... I could actually feel the breeze as it swept through the golden fields. Reminded me of idyllic childhood days when there was not a care in the world except to play and be with friends. The feel of the movie turns dark and ugly however as the story unfolds. There was quite a lot of symbolism used in this film but I think it was used appropriately and in such a natural way... I mean, they were in a rural area. Of course, there would be predators flying and slithering around.
There was also a certain sense of spirituality in this film. The snake in the fields and at night seemed to symbolize a battle... one between good and evil. Also, Michele's chanting while on the dirt path on his way to rescue Fillippo reminded me of superstitions practiced in the Philippines... I remember how we, as youngsters, were taught by Filipino elders, a chant to be uttered to protect us from evil spirits as we walk about by ourselves in the dark...
Furthermore , it was heartbreaking to see how Michele slowly began to understand what was going on in his adult community. It was so sad to see how the adults in this child's community failed spectacularly in their moral obligation to nurture and bring up this child in the ideals of moral standards.
This movie was such a beautiful portrayal of lost innocence and of the discovery of moral integrity.
Movie Review: Shocking Mystery With Substance
Summary: 5 Stars
"I'm Not Scared" is a great Italian film released in 2004. Its plot of a 10-year-old boy Michele who discovers a crime that hits his environment takes its own mysterious twists and turns to keep the suspense intact. It becomes increasingly eyeopening when Michele suspects that his father, a house guest, and others near him are involved in the crime of kidnapping a boy and keeping him captive in a deserted area. Beyond the mysterious theme is the emotional aspect, namely Michele's struggles with home life and life vs. death. Every film theme wonderfully leads to a powerful and shocking conclusion. This plot, inspired by a true story, is wonderfully established as its own. Only few other films that feature a chld as the lead character have accomplished such quality ("Whale Rider", "Billy Elliot").
Guiseppe Cristiano plays Michele beautifully. This young actor proves with his talent that he deserves to stay in the spotlight for a long time. Few other child actors have impacted a film to this magnitude with such performance. His character's hardships and pleasures are beautifully expressed. All other actors also accent their acting strengths in their characters. The expressions give this plot the emotional value it deserves.
"I'm Not Scared" is a great film for those yearning for something suspenseful. This is sure to please its audiences for a long time. The ending will surely keep them talking afterwards.
Movie Review: Heat. Intense, relentless heat
Summary: 5 Stars
You will draw a clear sense of this gripping story from the many other excellent reviews on this site. What I want to comment on is the most amazing cinematographic depiction of HEAT ever brought to the silver screen. I've never experienced anything like it! The movie is set against the backdrop of mid summer in southern Italy - filmed in Potenza. This is the wheat-belt of Italy, and man is it hot. Every scene, every detail draws you back to that essential point - it is molto caldo. The crackle of the wheat sheaths blowing in the hot wind; the scratching of the ants crawling across the burnt dust under the wheat; the buzzing of the cicadas in the dried branches of the shrubs; the glare of the sun and the stark contrasting shadows it creates; the
the rattle of the fan in the dark kitchen, blowing across the sweat-beaded breast of Michele's mother in a loose peasant dress. Pulsating, palpable heat. The movie should have won an Oscar for this giant artistic accomplishment. It is worth seeing for this reason alone, and yet it only the setting for a terrific, compelling, disturbing story. One of the best films I have ever seen.