Review of Malena (2000) by Bastet 0 — 01 Aug 2008

Geared to be light hearted in the beginning (e.g. when Renato receives his first boner courtesy of Malena walking in the village) halfway through, it quickly turns to a serious and depressing tone. It is clear that Malena's only crime is her beauty- the village men can't stop ogling her, the village women spread vicious rumors that they just know she's out to steal their men. She remains stoically silent through it all, and oblivious to her little stalker in Renato.

When her husband is declared dead in the war, it takes a while but she soon become what everyone thought her to be all along- as the villagers won't sell her any good food, she resorts to having to get it outside, and having no money but being as beautiful as she is, she earns it the only way she is offered.

I do not want to give away too much, but the ending turns out better than I could have hoped- as you watch it, you wonder how an ending could have been devised at all.

I am still a but confused on the very end, the reactions when Malena is in the market place so if it could be explained to me, I would appreciate it.

Not quite chick flick, not quite comedy, this is a good hybrid.