I'm Not Scared
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Movie Reviews of I'm Not Scared
Movie Review: Excellent Italian film
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is beautifully photographed with excellent acting. My husband and I have watched it several times. It is also a good opportunity to listen to the Italian language.Movie Review: Insightful innocence
Summary: 5 Stars
A ten-year-old's view of unspeakable evil co-existing with unquestioning family love, and its startling outcome.Movie Review: The Brighter Side of Human Nature
Summary: 4 Stars
I have heard some critics expressed the view that I'm Not Scared (2003) is mainly about the innocence of youth, which I cannot and will not accept. Any individual's character is innate and pre-determined at conception which cannot be altered, an observation which can be and should be tested experimentally in the laboratory. Hence, the innocence referred to here is of the good-natured kind regardless of age, not one of childhood or youth.
One thing I would like to mention first is the brilliant use of the camera throughout, which adds insights and cues for the viewer to provide direction of the underlying currents and their meanings, besides attention. Such thoughtfulness brings light to the possibility of cinematography as an instrument of tremendous power to influence judgment as opposed to being one of linear and monotonic function so often seen in big Hollywood productions.
The main characters of the film are two young boys who share practically nothing in common except their age and religion. One was from the working class and the other of more noble (seemingly) ancestry. Religion played an important role in both of their lives, which became a source of strength for both of them that led to their "union" in the final sequence. The Catholic faith also drove these two characters in ways unexpected by themselves. This approach to religion and the significance of the choices one make in his life naturally gives rise to some serious thinking about the current trend of losing hope in the faith which corrupts the society on many levels, particularly in the Western World. Despite all odds such as the counter-influence of the behavior of the adults surrounding, our chief protagonist never wavered from adhering to principles from the Bible taught at school. On the other hand, our major supporting character sought solace in biblical stories when all previous teaching failed to allow reasoning and madness descended as no comfort of familiarity was spared. These developments led to challenges in one's confidence in self and a solid and firm definition of the role in the wider world played. As the outcome for the protagonist remained uncertain even till the very end, a tinge of sadness and anxiety pervaded the set. In spite of this, the rescued one's release from mental pain when he saw a sacrifice made for his own sake gives hope. The purity of true friendship is rarely so realistically portrayed in the cinema, and this remarkable feat done by the production team is exceptional.
Though some acting performances could be improved, this is a work to be cherished, even in our small ways.
It should be noted that some elements in the film could be quite disturbing due to the oppression felt by the children in their close-knit community.
Movie Review: A compelling, moving film that defies expectations!
Summary: 4 Stars
It seems like every year there comes a foreign horror sensation that rakes in the bucks in the U.S. and gets people talking (The Devil's Backbone, the Japanese Ring). And trailers have been touting director Salvatores' "shocking" film as the next one in line...but what a relief it was to find that this movie is so much more. Yes, there is an eerie mystery at its center: Michele (Guiseppe Cristiano), a young boy, stumbles across a mysterious child chained up in a deep hole in the fields of rural Italy. At the beginning of the film, there is the obligatory "jump!" moment when the orchestra hit scares you, but then Scared suddenly takes a turn for the philosophical that I absolutely loved. The movie changes pace after a while, becoming more languid and quiet, letting the free-flowing cinematography have many moments of beauty, and at a certain point Scared becomes less about whodunit than 'why.' What makes Scared such a great departure from the flicks it will be shelved with is its perspective during its narrative - seen from the eyes of young Michele, it is a kidnap/ransom story that holds little consequence in that arena but affects the young boy deeply as he learns that one simply can't count on or trust adults. I think that is what Scared is all about: that lesson we learn when we're young that one day we, too, will lose our innocence and unfortunately become like that too. Don't get me wrong - there is a compelling mystery at the film's center, and a third act that will have you biting your nails...but the movie knows what it's all about, and its bittersweet final moments are simply wonderful. Here's a movie that truly deserves the word 'original.' GRADE: A-
Movie Review: drawing the broken matchstick . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
Gabriele Salvatores's I'm Not Scared (lo non ho paura) (2003), is a drama set in 1978 in rural Italy, involving a ten-year old boy named Michele Amitrano (Giuseppe Cristiano), who makes an startling discovery. At a house in the middle of golden colored fields, Michele lifts a cover and finds a young boy being held prisoner in an underground pit. Befriending the captive, Michele, does what he can to make his life more bearable. The boy named Filippo Carducci (Mattia Di Pierro), is chained, and can't escape. Filippo is in a pitiful condition, very thin, weak, pale, and being in the dark so much, unable to see. Michele soon learns that his family, and some of the strange assortment of characters they are involved with, may have something to do with the imprisoned child.
The winner of numerous international awards for excellence, the film is not overly complex, but unfolds slowly and naturally, highlighted by terrific cinematography. The story is quite captivating, largely due to the performance of young Guiseppe Cristiano, thirteen at the time, who brings innocence, realism, and honestly to his role. Michele's idealism, compassion for a stranger, and desire to do the right thing in an uncertain situation, is at the heart of this emotional tale. Director Salvatores was looking for new faces, and he struck platinum in casting Cristiano. The rest of the cast is quite good as well, particularly Aitana Sanchez-Gijon as Michele's mother Anna.
If you are interested in a touching drama that is a refreshing change from the typical Hollywood product, I'm Not Scared is well worth your time.