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Uccio, the father left Cisternino in search for a better life for his family. He left his wife, Nuncia behind with their 3 children. But one night when someone tried to rape Nuncia, and her father died as a result, she follows Uccio to Turin, where he works for Fiat.

Ucciodies at the plant trying to save a younger worker and Nuncia is forced to work at the factory to raise her children and give them a good education.

The family goes through hardship and trials. The youngest boy becomes involved with other boys who are children of migrant workers... born in the country but raised in Turin. They choose a life of petty crime. The older boy finishes school and is hired by Fiat and given a good job while Nuncia continues to work in the assembly line. The only girl gets involved with an older man but quickly realizes he is no good.

I guess I am not a genius??? I absolutely agree with one commentator... this film was a panoramic view of .... nothingness. Reminded me of the fairy tale, "the emperor has no clothes!" You wait for some answers that will never come.

It reminds me of another film that i walked out of in the first 15 minutes of watching it--"It's all about love" starring Joaquin Phoenix shown in 2003. The only reason why i did not walk out of this film was simply because it won best picture! So i stayed so i could make sense of why it won that award... maybe i had to be patient enough and see it through so i will get it. I did not. It talked about the death of a younger sibling and how the family tried to make sense of it... cope with it... goodness the older sibling in the movie was still despondent about it in his old age! I can say that this film is one of the worst i've seen in my entire life.

I have just finished watching HBO's "Taking Chance" and was deeply moved by the film and how it showed the journey of Pfc. Chance Phelps who was killed in action in Iraq. It was very informative and showed the respect the Armed Forces bestowed on their fallen colleagues... from the time the soldier is killed in action to the point where they bring his body back home to his family. I was deeply moved by the respect shown to Pfc. Phelps by his Marine escort and by the civilians who happened to be there as he was being flown back to his parents house in Wyoming. Although I do not personally think America should have gone to war in Iraq, I salute the soldiers who have served and are still serving their country by fighting this difficult war. I once received an email from an acquaintance (he is a WWII veteran) and he had a slogan in his email: "Fight them there or fight them here. Awake America!" I may be wrong in my opinion about the war in Iraq (or I may be right) but one thing I know is that America is safer because of the sacrifice of the soldiers who are fighting for their country in Iraq and Afhganistan.

I watched this movie for 2 reasons: (1) i just love stephen dillane (ever since "firelight" with sophie marceau) and (2) it is a love story. the only things i loved about the movie was stephen dillane and vanessa redgrave; the songs (where or when, it had to be you, the white cliffs of dover, my serenade). Otherwise, had i known it was going to be like a fantasy of some woman finding the love of her life and jumping at the opportunity to be with that soul mate, well... it was to far-fetched for me! Not that i don't believe in finding one's soul mate; but the story line for this particular movie was weird and personally, i felt the lead actress didn't know how to act at all. But she was the writer, hence she got top spot.

So many others have given excellent comments about this made-for-TV film and so I shall not add any more to that except to say this is a very excellent film. Its use of historical footages add to the authenticity of its depiction. All i can say is that I found tears falling down my cheeks as the film ended--with the Emperor of Japan telling his military advisers that they too must endure the unendurable as he must. While I somehow felt some sympathy for him, I cannot understand why he did not use his imperial powers to stop these madmen from starting the war in the first place. The footage showing the soldiers with Gen. Wainwright need no words to describe the brutality of the Japanese occupation. Neither has Japan apologized for the atrocity done on so-called "comfort women." On the other hand, the photos taken right after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are too painful to look at. Dr. Oppenheimer was right in his assessment--(I paraphrase--)"We may developed a weapon that will put an end to all wars...but can man be trusted not to useit for evil purposes?" The good book tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" I cried for all who suffered during the Bataan Death March, those who lived through the barbaric occupation of the Japanese Imperial Army but I also cried for the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who had to endure the unendurable. In war, everyone loses. This film did not glorify war but gave a factual presentation of the events that led to the bomb which changed the course of modern history...it showed both sides--good and bad...and so I gave it the highest rating.

Like the character played by Steven Bauer, Avner--he said he had no answers, just questions. I found this film really fascinating as it was based on real events. Munich didn't quite do it for me. I like this version better. Too much angst in Spielberg's version I think--he tried to be politically correct.

Did Golda Meir make the right decision? How does one fight an unseen enemy who has sworn publicly and with terroristic acts, the total annihilation of your country? The Mossad agents were placed in a tight spot...they had to grapple with their consciences... unlike the terrorists who don't care whether their victims are enemy agents or schoolchildren or athletes--in other words, non-combatants.

Does the end justify the means. I don't think so. And this is what the film wishes to convey.

I gave it a rating of "awful" not for the acting--the actors had nothing to do with the interpretation of the Story of Exodus. I don't know how the writer came up with such a story. He made the Jews appear to be a bloodthirsty people who followed an arbitrary, intractable, and demanding God--Ron Hutchinson made up his own story--this mini-series is not what the Bible relates at all. He gives a wrong picture about God and how He dealt with Pharoah, Moses, and the Jewish nation. It showed that Moses did not even know where to lead the people--that God is a fickle God and unreasonable and vengeful. I was aghast at how Mr. Hutchinson interpreted the exodus of the Jewish nation from slavery. Don't waste your time on this.

Andy Garcia does a superb job of telling the story of Cuba from the perspective of one family caught in the turmoil of the revolution.

(Spoilers!)

It is the story of one family composed of 3 brothers, one is a musician whose life revolves around his family and his music lounge;one brother is a student at university--it is not clear what the other one's occupation is. Their father is a university professor who believes in Ghandi's philosophy of passive resistance. But one brother is captivated by Fidel Castro and joins the rebels. The other brother is also lured into the political fray and only Andy Garcia's character, Fico, is apolitical.

There is a parallelism in the break up of the country with the break up of the family. Family affinities are either strengthened or discarded depending on which side of the revolution one chooses to ally one's self with. This is the tragedy that is Cuba--it deposed a bloody dictator with a bloodier one.

Similarly, Fico's love for Aurora (his brother's widow) parallels his love for his Cuba. He loves her and he will love her forever; yet, he has to go away. Aurora chooses to stay in Cuba--she believes that communism is the the road to follow; Fico chooses to leave for New York--freedom is non-negotiable--it holds the highest value in his heart.

Wonderful story telling and directing from Andy Garcia. He presents this heartbreaking story with passion and understanding of its turbulent history. The poem at the end of the film is equally haunting in its beauty...to quote a portion:

"Todo es hermoso y constante, Todo es musica y rezo, Y todo, como el diamante, Antes que luz, es carbon."

(Everything is beautiful and faithful, Everything is music and prayer, And everything--like the diamond, Before it sparkles, is coal.")

Forgive me if I failed to translate it right; maybe someone can translate it more accurately and lyrically. But you get the idea.

I really loved watching this film, i give it 9/10!

SPOILERS! I always love Merchant Ivory films and this is no exception. Sure, the movie is quite slow but the acting of Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Blythe Danner is superb. Although Paul Newman's character is quite stern, he is not unloving. He just doesn't know how to express his feelings. When he thought that he was very sick and could die soon, he made sure that he set his estate in order and showed his wife the important papers she needs to be aware of. He wanted to make sure she would be all right. He also talks to his son and tells him the extent of his illness (which he conceals from his wife--he doesn't want her to worry!) and asks his son to take care of his mother in case he becomes very ill and possibly die. He also surprises Mrs. Bridge with a cruise to Europe during a tornado alert! He remains cool while a tornado is raging outside the hotel where he and his wife are dining.I realize that his reactions are based on his priorities...he might die soon and what's a tornado to do with what he wants to accomplish at this very moment? This is a lovely film about family relationships and how families interacted then--we see similar values (love of family, concern for children's future) but different ways of living it out.

Mr. Bridge doesn't quite like that his daughter will be marrying a plumber's son (not good enough for her!) and he gives his other daughter $1,000 to start a career in acting in New York. The best adjective for him is "reticent." Mrs. Bridge on the other hand, is such a naive and kind-hearted person. She sees the bright things in life although she is quite unhappy because she feels her husband doesn't love her enough.

If you happen to like European films and how they flesh out relationships, you will love this film.

I can't seem to find the words to describe this very disturbing film. I cannot imagine such a life...reminiscent of "The Lord of the Flies." Kids aren't kids--they shoot, they kill, they have no consciences. It is like peering into the eyes of soul-less little people.

My stomach turned while watching this horrific movie. It is a scene straight out of hell. It depicts apocalyptic events--where evil runs unhindered.

Rocket, the photographer, was the only one who seemed to escape the destiny of the rest of the residents of that hellish place.

Maybe they should re-name their city "Cidade de Diablo."

This is one of the saddest, most heartbreaking films I've ever seen (along with Dr. Zhivago and The English Patient)! I won't bother giving a short description of the film since most of the comments have already done so. I keep wondering how I would have reacted if I were in the same situation--would I have shown the same restraint? Imagine the last scene...the lovers are together in a cafeteria for the last time...The Doctor will be leaving for Johannesburg with his family for good and they spend the whole afternoon together, before his departure to Africa...(had it been produced today, it would have had the prerequisite sex scenes!)--they go out to the country, walk over a bridge they had visited once before and then drive back to the train station for their final goodbye and the lead actress has to suspend her emotions because a friend of hers walks in and joins them at their table and then he has to leave to catch his train! How painful that must have been! And she could not show her emotions but you could feel it palpably as you watch the movie.

I don't think this film will excite young people today--nobody ever says "I love you" anymore--more so, "I will love you 'til I die." I just love this gem of a movie. Great acting--with that restrained, British stiff upper lip emoting so much unlike today's young people who yell and cuss! Ha-ha! I also hope to watch the 1974 version with Richard Burton and Sophia Loren again but they haven't made it into DVD format yet. Sigh.

A lot Filipino movies are not known for its quality. Most producers only make movies for commercial purposes. This was a refreshing change from their "success formula." Carlos Siguion-Reyna adapted Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" and gave it a local flavor--it was well done although I didn't care much for Richard Gomez' acting abilities.

The film was pretty accurate in its adaptation and quite ambitious for Philippine cinema. The choice of Batanes island as the setting was perfect...we don't have moors here in the Philippines--we have beaches! Dawn Zulueta fit "Cathy's" role to a T. I only wish the producers of this film will continue to give us Filipinos a higher level of cinema experience. Hopefully, they will issue a DVD copy for us who want to watch it again.

I cannot understand why critics tore down this lovely film. I never forgot this film along with its haunting melody. All the actors, Robert Mitchum, Christopher Jones, Sarah Miles, and John Mills were effective in the nuances of each of their characters. Robert Mitchum's performance as a staid, seemingly boring character, Sarah Miles searching for something more exciting from her dreary town, Christopher Jones, haunted by his experiences at the trenches in WW1 and John Mills, who didn't talk at all in this movie, conveying much his emotions with his eyes. I believe he got best supporting actor for his role in this film. It is a story of love, forgiveness, hatred, bigotry, and ignorance and David Lean wove a wonderful tapestry in this classic film. A very realistic view of life in Ireland...I hope the producer comes out with a DVD copy.

I bought this DVD because I just love Gerard Butler. It is a sad film because it deals with cancer and Sarah, the female protagonist, comes home to Scotland to prepare for her death and to do the things she's always wanted to do before she dies. She has a list which include flying a kite, skydiving, seeing the pyramids, etc. and she asks her former boyfriend, who in now married, to help her accomplish all these things in the short time she has left. His wife, Charlotte, resents it naturally but Sam, Gerard Butler's character, decides that he needs to help her as he has not really gotten over her and loves her still.

Sarah even prepares a speech, which she records, to be shown at the reception after her funeral. And she asks Sam (he's a chef)to prepare a reception for 30 of her dearest friends and relatives. The film gives an insight to the range of emotions that cancer patients go through as they face their mortality. It also teaches the viewers not to take their lives for granted and to live their lives to the fullest...as Sarah said in her farewell speech, "Seize the day, do not go gently but rage, rage at the dying of the day."

I went to watch the film because it had Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes, and Sean Penn in it. Lesson 1: I will never watch a film again just based on who the actors are--it is no guarantee that the film will be good.

Joaquin Phoenix' character is on the way to Canada but stops by New York to sign his divorce papers. First nutty scene: a dead man is being bounced back and forth on the last step of the escalator as Joaquin and entourage go down and Joaquin is told to "walk over the dead man"...just like that with a terse explanation that people fall dead of a broken heart--so that's where the title of the film comes in--it's all about love...i should have left the theater at this point but I thought i'd sit a while more to find out just what is love all about. My mistake...

This was the strangest film I have ever watched in my entire life--Elena clones (Claire Danes is Elena, the ice skating star), snow in New York, in July; snow in Africa; Africans flying literally and having to tie their feet with a piece of rope to keep them aground so to speak; and finally Sean Penn in a plane that can't land because of continuous snowing...

It is neither uplifting nor entertaining. Just painful and boring.

The story is simple--it is about a young boy who spent his summers in the hills of Provence--yet it manages to tug the viewer at the heart. It is such a far cry from the families we see today who have no time to relate to each other. The boy's love for his father (and mother)clearly shines in this film.

The father is a school teacher, an atheist, and a republican. But he is a loving husband and a great father to his children. The mother is shy and affectionate and is sensitive the needs of her husband and children. So what makes this film such an enchanting experience? Since I am not a writer, I cannot really put into words the way I felt after watching this film. I know it left a smile in my heart...it also made me nostalgic for it reminded me of my own childhood. I wanted it to go on long after the movie ended. Watch it and you will know what I mean. It will take you back to the magical moments of growing up.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film--I never heard about it until I found a DVD copy. Since I love both Sophie Marceau and Vincent Perez, I decided to purchase the copy. It has a strange (quirky!) plot about a man who wants to keep his love affair forever fresh and so he makes a vow to woo the girl of his dreams but at the same time, maintains a distance so that his desire for her would never wane or turn sour. Question is, can he keep it up? It reminded me of a line from the song--"The Impossible Dream"..."...to love pure, and chaste, from afar..." And life throws us into situations we can't just control... Watch this lovely film and see the chemistry between the 2 leading actors. Although the film revolves entirely on them, it remains interesting to end--it leaves the viewer wondering whether they will end up together or not. (I don't want to spoil it for you, so you have to watch it yourself.) And this is the first film of Vincent Perez that I've watched where he doesn't die or get killed! Yey!

This is a story of 4 men--who meet on a regular basis,share a friendship that has seen good times and bad. It is a refreshing tale about french men (and their women).

I enjoyed this film thoroughly because it gave me an insight into the heart of men--their emotions, reactions, foibles, games...and also how they committed to support each other and in one case, challenge one of the guys to forgive his "wayward" wife.

I did not want the movie to end when it did as I wanted to see more of their interaction. The actors were well-chosen,they seemed to share a friendship on a personal basis as well. Good story, good acting...

Set in Sarawak, Borneo in 1936, this is a story of a native Iban and a British colonial officer. I bought the DVD only because it is a period film (which I always love) and that it is also a love story (for which I am a sucker for.) I was not disappointed. Although I wondered why the leading lady looked too gorgeous for a native Iban--but her looks is explained in the movie later on. However, when she first appears on the screen, she acts much like a Latina rather than an Asian native (more especially since this was in 1936!)...in the scene where Hugh Dancy's character is welcomed by the people, Jessica Alba's character is seated right behind him holding a tray of rice wine..the looks she gives him is definitely not Asian! Asian women are shy around men and don't give sultry and inviting looks at other men.

Hugh Dancy was perfect for the role. He looked innocent and idealistic enough. The film gives a good picture of how the British ran their colonies and how they looked on the natives--whether they be Ibans (as in this film) or whether they be Indians or Africans or Arabs. That's why Hugh Dancy's role is a very refreshing change from the stereotypes we is usually shown in movies.

The scenes looked believable, the costumes were great and I am glad they did not depict the natives as brainless. I just had a hard time believing that Hugh Dancy's character (SPOILER COMING!) would choose to live in the jungles of Borneo for the rest of his life.

I would like to see more of Hugh Dancy in future films! He is gorgeous.

This is a continuation of the series "Antonia"--after her husband, Count Leonhardt is killed within 10 minutes of their wedding... The grieving widow, Antonia, suspects that the killer is still out there and realizes almost too late that he was just beside her all the time. After a long car chase, Antonia's car crashes but she miraculously survives and the film ends with Moritz, Leonhardt's brother reassuringly beside her. Antonia--Tranen In Paradies resumes 2 years after the accident. Antonia is now married to Moritz, they have a child, Marie (with whom she was pregnant at the time of the accident). Antonia is now happily married and everything seems perfect until complications set in to mar her happiness again. Will her marriage survive the trials?

I enjoyed watching this film as it concluded Antonia's fairy tale of a life...poor girl meets rich boy, gets married, although husband gets killed...girl inherits husband's fortune...takes over his financial empire and even manages to get married again(!)...this time to her handsome and charming brother-in-law. Only people who enjoy soap operas like me will probably like this film--the events move fast, it has all the ingredients of a successful soap--romance, intrigue, suspense, and a happy ending! Benjamin Sadler as Moritz is the icing on the cake--what more can I ask for?

I enjoyed watching this movie as it had all the ingredients of a wonderful soap. Coming from the 3rd world, I find it intriguing that soaps, whether Asian, American, Latin American, or in this case, German (!)--are mainly alike. It has the prerequisite boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, complications set in--will boy marry girl? Will it have a "and they lived happily ever after" kind of ending? Its conclusion is somewhat unconventional--not the usual prince and princess riding into the sunset but it holds the same promises that soaps do whether you are watching it in California or Mexico or Manila.

The events move fast, it holds the audience's attention...and if you enjoy sappy love stories, this is one movie you ought to see.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie--I thought I would be bored but since it had both Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in it, I decided to watch it anyway. Their acting was superb--I felt Anthony Hopkins should have won the Oscar for best actor in this movie--especially in the scene where his father has a heart attack in the middle of a very important dinner with very important guests and Anthony Hopkins has to continue with his duties as head butler. He manages to control his emotions but his eyes tells it all--how deeply hurt he is. No overacting here. In another scene where Emma Thompson tells him that she is leaving to get married--I have never seen such great acting in my life! I could almost feel his pain--losing the only woman he has ever loved. While his decision to let her go is certainly foolish, one can only watch in wonder how flawlessly Anthony Hopkins acted out this scene and it is repeated much later when he goes to visit Emma Thompson at the conclusion of the film.

Great movie, great acting all the way. I could scarcely believe that the script was written by a Japanese--he really showed what that "British stiff upper lip" is all about...

I have seen "King of Kings", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "Jesus of Nazareth", "The Jesus Film", "Jesus Christ, Superstar", and now, "The Gospel According to John." This, to me, is the most scriptural presentation so far. The acting was superb considering the actors had to contend with a dialogue that was taken straight out of the Bible. The actor who portrayed Jesus (Cusick) gave a very refreshing portrayal of Jesus, the man. I especially liked it when he smiled! I remember Max von Sydow's and Robert Powell's portrayal of Jesus and they were too "somber"...

It seemed like I was reading the Gospel of John while watching the film. Though the movie was quite long (the gospel account has 21 chapters!),I was never bored.

I just love this movie! It is a story of 2 men--Gale and Brian...2 unlikely people to become the best of friends...The actors were well cast--James Caan and Billy Dee Sayers fit their roles to a tee. It is a film not only of friendship but also of love...a film of triumph of the human spirit. It is a story that transcends time and overcomes barriers to relationships, whatever they might be--racial, religious, or political. It challenges the viewer to assess his/her own prejudices and why it must be overcome. It is as timely as it was when it was first shown. A real winner but be prepared with a box of Kleenex when watching this very touching film. I saw a remake of this film quite recently but I think the original movie was much better than the remake.

I heard so much about this film but missed seeing it in 1964 during its first release simply because it was never shown here. I finally got to see it 40 years after its debut and it remains as fresh and enchanting as I imagined it to be. The film is quite heartbreaking because Genevieve (Catherine Deneuve) did not persevere in her love for Guy. I can only imagine what pain Guy had to bear facing war in Algeria knowing his fiancée back home was pregnant with his child and he couldn't do anything about it. The blaze of colors in the movie was a contrast to the somber atmosphere of infidelity and lost love. I suppose they both had fairly good marriages but we can gleam that they did not reach the pinnacle of joy and had to settle for second best in the end. It sort of reminded me of Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass"--Warren Beatty's character and Natalie Wood's character--they did not "live happily ever after"--they just settled for second best.

It is very clear that Genevieve continued to carry the memory of her lost love--otherwise she would not have made the detour to Cherbourg and meet Guy "accidentally"...It was such a heartbreaking scene--they meet each other after many many years and they have named their children with the same name--the name they planned to give their first-born as they made their future plans together before he leaves for his army stint. I wonder, would it still be as beautiful if it ended happily? In any case, it is one of the most unforgettable films I have ever seen. Try to get hold of the DVD copy for your collection. :-)