Two Women

Tags

1960's, Drama, Eleonora Brown, Foreign Language Film, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Sophia Loren, Two Women, Vittorio De Sica, World War II

Film Title

Two Women

Director

Vittorio De Sica

Starring

• Sophia Loren as Cesira
• Eleonora Brown as Rosetta
• Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michele

A harrowing account of a mother trying to protect her daughter in the dark days of World War II, Two Women is strikingly told and excellently acted. Occasionally it gets a bit meandering, but the grim power and authentically moving performance from Sophia Loren make Two Women a must see.

It is the Second World War and in Rome, widowed shopkeeper Cesira is struggling to cope with the constant uncertainty and bombings that terrify everyone. Her main priority is keeping her 12-year-old daughter Rosetta safe, no matter what. Having saved up some money and collected what she needs, she heads with Rosetta to the hills of her childhood, looking for sanctuary. The journey to the hills is fraught with difficulties and horror, but the two persevering women carry on. Once in the poor but a lot more sheltered regional village of her past, Cesira attempts to carve a life for her and Rosetta until the war calms down and they can return to Rome. Along the way, Cesira becomes attracted to young idealist Michele, who also harbours romance for her. Though she develops feelings for him over time, her primary concern is Rosetta and Cesira knows that her impressionable daughter has a crush on him. Times are tough due to shortage of supplies and amenities, though resourceful Cesira tries to make the best of things by foraging food and just protecting her daughter from the horrors of war as long as she possibly can. Yet just as it seems safe for Cesira and Rosetta to return to Rome with the war seemingly hitting a turning point, they encounter brutal tragedy at the hands of Moroccan soldiers.

Vittorio De Sica wisely brings his credentials as a purveyor of neo-realism out here, highlighting the stark and unforgiving fallout war can cause and especially on those left behind. None of the film is varnished or dressed up to look smooth, it is depicted with astonishing naturalness and harsh reality thanks to De Sica’s expertise. It deftly captures the way that a war can impact on people and their lives, one minute it seems calm, the next minutes it is a mass upheaval. There are those out there that will dismiss the film as overly episodic, but by and large, it’s an honest picture of the sea saw of terror and not knowing when . Two Women is not without nicer moments of people attempting to raise their spirits, but these are coupled with scenes of shock and grit that never lets us forget that this is only a temporary respite from a difficult time. Some parts do feel a bit rushed and there are parts that linger too long for their own good, yet the bigger picture and power of the piece always manages to bring it all back to something exceptionally genuine. The last half especially will emotionally devastate and shock viewers with its intensity and raw, visceral content that leaves a mark. The black and white cinematography highlights the bleakness of war and what it does to people, both emotionally and physically. If Two Women had been in colour, a lot of the impact would have dissipated. Music is employed sparingly but appropriately, allowing the main story and themes of survival to flourish but also give an emotional pull when required.

Sophia Loren is simply put powerful and forceful in the lead role; it’s no surprise she won the Academy Award for her raw and heart-rending work here. The role of Cesira is embodied so naturally and with grave, hard-working determination by Loren that you can’t tear yourself away from the screen. She excels at colouring the role with the deep maternal instinct and love, without resorting to melodrama and needless overdramatising. Sure Cesira says what she thinks and can be very feisty, but in the hands of Loren, we glimpse the little nuances of the character that complete the whole. We get many sides to the woman; the caring side, desolation and vulnerability, along with an outspoken attitude and unwavering strength that all make it a triumph of intensity and authenticity. From the first moment you see Loren cradling her daughter from harm and screaming that she wishes the war would end, you just know that the performance is going to be something special. Before this film, Sophia Loren had largely been cast in parts that were merely glamorous and weren’t ones that showcased the talent she had. She really showed off her abilities with this award collecting part, that will haunt the mind for days to come and established herself as an actress to be reckoned with. Eleonora Brown forges a realistic and convincing bond with Loren as the young innocent daughter, whose experiences leave her shell-shocked and she has to grow up quicker than expected. This tender relationship is the heart of the movie and is played magnificently. Jean-Paul Belmondo has probably the least demanding role of the central three, but nonetheless conveys the free thinking and opinionated feelings of the young idealist.

Anchored by the superb work of Sophia Loren showing her mettle and the honest direction of Vittorio De Sica , Two Women is a dark and stark evocation of the horrors endured in World War II and the power of a mother’s love.

Malena

Tags

2000's, Coming-of-Age, Drama, Foreign Language Film, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Giuseppe Tornatore, Malena, Monica Bellucci, World War II

Film Title

Malena

Director

Giuseppe Tornatore

Starring

• Monica Bellucci as Malena Scordia
• Giuseppe Sulfaro as Renato Amoroso

A moving, at times funny and at times bittersweet drama, Malena focuses on the coming of age of a young boy during the Second World War and his desire for a mysterious and beautiful woman. With a lush soundtrack and beautifully rendered visuals, Malena is a film that touches you as well as delivering a few unexpected shocks every now and then.

The tale begins in 1940 in a quiet Sicilian village. Italy has just entered the War and young Renato is given his first bike. The main other event that changes his life on this eventful day is, along with his friends, glimpsing the sight of the beautiful Malena Scordia, whose husband is away fighting in the War. As a quiet and devastatingly gorgeous woman, Malena is the subject of malicious gossip from women and amorous advances from men throughout the town. Young Renato begins to develop a crush on the lonely woman and repeatedly dreams about her. Yet while almost every other man objectifies the woman and for a time Renato does this in his daydreams and fantasies, he soon begins to see that she is just trying to cope with loneliness and is not at all like the savage gossip that is spread about her. As the hardships of the War begin to take their toll, Malena comes under more scrutiny for becoming a prostitute because she is desperate for food and her husband has been listed as dead while serving in Africa. Only young Renato, on the cusp of his teenage years, knows that Malena is simply a shy woman cursed by being very beautiful and paying the price of envy and slander from others as the War continues to rage on.

Writer and director Giuseppe Tornatore conjures up an atmosphere of changing times, burgeoning sexual attraction and intolerance brought on by jealousy. Many of Renato’s dreams about Malena are amusingly rendered with cinematic quality yet tinged with a sense of eroticism. Unlike the other men who just think of her as a sex object, the young boy, while still entranced by her, becomes something of a protector for her, defending her name and observing her actions with an ardent devotion. Malena may be quite funny on occasion but it isn’t afraid to show a darker side, especially surrounding the reactions of other towards the eponymous beauty. At times, the line between humour and drama is a bit stretched, but overall it is a marvellously moving film of youth giving way to maturity and the facing of intolerance. There is one particular scene that showcases the intolerance that I won’s spoil but I will say is a shocking and completely unexpected moment that is hard to watch as the jealous women of the village unleash their fury upon the unsuspecting Malena. An evocative score from the master that is Ennio Moriconne provides thematic backbone to the movie, moving along with at first a jaunty, childlike rhythm before giving way to melancholy pieces to illustrate the sadness of Malena and her set of circumstances. The visuals in Malena are breathtakingly beautiful, bathing the sleepy town obsessed by the beauty of the elusive main character with golden lustre that further enhances the air of beauty and discussion about her.

I have often felt that Monica Bellucci is sometimes overlooked for her acting ability because of her striking looks. But one need look no further than Malena to see that she is a very talented actress of great subtlety and depth. With little dialogue, she gives this woman a sadness, unintentional beauty and the burden of being constantly watched by those around her. A lot of the performance is through her eyes, which stunningly exude a solitary demeanor, the desire to be left alone and the elusiveness that many debate about her. The young Giuseppe Sulfaro brings a naive yet loyal and ardent personality to the character of Renato, who while growing up is the only person aware of Malena’s struggles and the only one sympathetic to her plight. While there are other characters in the film, they mainly just blend together as either lustful men or jealous women as the focus on the story is Malena and Renato.

A moving coming of age tale as well as a parable about the perils of having such beauty, Malena is a fill that will stay with you in one way or another.

 

Female Agents

Tags

2000's, Déborah François, Drama, Female Agents, Foreign Language Film, Jean-Paul Salomé, Julie Depardieu, Julien Boisselier, Marie Gillain, Maya Sansa, Moritz Bleibtreu, SOE, Sophie Marceau, Thriller, World War II

Film Title

Female Agents

Director

Jean-Paul Salomé

Cast

• Sophie Marceau as Louise Desfontaines
• Julie Depardieu as Jeanne Faussier
• Marie Gillain as Suzy Desprez
• Déborah François as Gaëlle Lemenech
• Moritz Bleibtreu as Karl Heindrich
• Maya Sansa as Maria Luzzato
• Julien Boisselier as Pierre Desfontaines

Inspired by true events, Female Agents tells of five women’s attempts to stop secrets being leaked to the Nazi’s during World War II regarding the Normandy Landing. Thrilling, compelling and excellently acted, it is a tribute to brave women during the war and the dangerous tasks taken to ensure the safety of millions.

The year is 1944. Louise Desfontaines is a member of the French Resistance who flees to London after her husband is killed. She is then recruited by SOE( Special Operations Executive), an organisation created by Churchill to conduct spying and dangerous missions in occupied Europe. Louise is tasked with the rescue of a British geologist who has been captured by the Germans and holds valuable information regarding the Invasion of Normandy. She is told to form a group of women to aid her in the dangerous mission along with her brother Pierre. The women are chosen for specific qualities and reasons. They are Suzy, a seductive cabaret dancer who was formally engaged to a Nazi colonel, Gaëlle, a devoutly religious girl who is skilled with explosives, Jeanne, a hard-edged prostitute adept with weapons and Maria, a Jewish woman looking for revenge after her family was taken to a concentration camp. They arrive in France and quickly go about rescuing the man from enemy clutches in a French hospital. The women seem to have succeeded until they are accidentally revealed to a prominent colonel in the SS, Karl Heindrich who happens to be Suzy’s former lover. From then on it a race against time to not only save the geologist but also their lives and carefully planning to kill the colonel. Prepare to be enthralled by the dangerous mission undertaken and the lengths the women go to in order to survive and see it through.

The first thing that catches the eye is the believability of the settings and costumes, that really take you into the heart of war-time intrigue. Music plays a key part in the film and the score adds a poignant and epic sweep as the narrative unravels at a break neck speed. Credit must go to the screenplay for presenting a war movie from a female perspective, carefully showing us the dangers these women undertook to make sure of successful missions that could cost them their lives. Although the film goes at a fast, driving speed, the film still makes time for us to engage with the five women and watch as they risk their lives for their cause. The film although packed with adventure does not shy away from the brutalities of war and intrigue, clearly shown when members of the group are tortured for information by having their heads dunked underwater and hit repeatedly.  Above all, it is the acting, mainly from the quintet of women that keeps the story running smoothly. Heading the cast is Sophie Marceau as Louise, she carefully embodies the stoic responsibility as leader of the group but we sense a pain underneath her outwardly cold facade. Julie Depardieu creates a convincing character in Jeanne, the prostitute unafraid of staring death in the face. Marie Gillain exudes glamour and poignancy as Suzy, who is initially reluctant about the mission because she knows it will bring her back into contact with her former lover. Déborah François is luminous as the bomb expert who still clings to religion to get her through the dangerous mission. And Maya Sansa emits a quiet rage as the vengeful Maria, who by her own admission will relish the chance to kill those who murdered her family. Out of the males in the cast, Moritz Bleibtreu is the most convincing, excellently capturing the outward charisma of his SS colonel character but then showing the brutal violence that lurks beneath it.

If it’s a World War II thriller with a difference and a definite and loving recreation of time, then Female Agents is the advisable film for you. The luminous female cast alone is reason to see this inventive thriller inspired by true events.