| Another Perspective |
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| written by Scaramouche |
January 27, 2005 - 7:20 AM PST |
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4 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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They say that there is no accounting for taste and this is just another example. It all in the eye of the beholder and I couldn't disagree with "Talltale" more on this one. I liked this film far more than "The Flight of the Innocent." First, it is no rip-off of the other film. It is set in the same historical context, was based on a best selling Italian novel, and has a somewhat similar theme, but the similarities end there. Second, the young man in this film is a far better actor. The film is filled with shades of grey. You get to know the members of the family, who, whatever their villainy, are developed as multi-dimensional human beings. There were few shades of grey in the earlier film and the "bad guys" were stock villains. Third, while there are moments which require a suspension of disbelief, the earlier film depends on your doing that. Finally, this is a fully developed study in human relationships and the morally complex rite of passage of the young protagonist. The earlier film, a good thriller, is about a poor boy who bravely and miraculously escapes multiple attempts to kill him and is rewarded by taking the place of a rich kid. And by the way, I showed this film to a group of inner city adolescents "at risk" who loved it and heavily identified with the hero. They're still talking about the film!
Check out the reviews of this film on "Rotten Tomatoes." It received a 92% positive rating across over 60 reviewers! |
| Italian Retread |
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| written by talltale |
October 18, 2004 - 3:30 PM PDT |
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7 out of 10 members found this review helpful
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| I'M NOT SCARED, released to some acclaim and pretty good box-office (for a foreign film without major stars) earlier this year, appears to have captured an enthusiastic audience. Before you rent it, however, I suggest watching another Italian movie with the same subject matter made over a decade ago called "The Flight of the Innocent" (directed by Carlo Carlei). The latter is superior in almost every way and is so similar in theme and content that it boggles my mind no mention (that I have seen) has been made of this by critics or film buffs. I'M NOT SCARED is certainly a good enough movie, a visual treat that is sometimes enormously upsetting and moving, even if its finale appears a tad contrived. (It is also much less of a thriller/scare movie than its marketing lets on, and that may turn off members expecting some kind of horror fest.) There was a time in Italy's history (the 1970s) that the kidnapping of children for profit was almost as big an industry as it is today in places like Iraq, so for many Europeans, the film will resonate strongly. Watch it and enjoy but--to discover what superior moviemaking is all about--add "Flight of the Innocent" to your queue. |
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