Movie Critique of “RESPIRO” by Kate Pulzone

“RESPIRO” 2002 In Italian with English subtitles

Starring Valeria Golino and Vincenzo Amato, film by Emanuele Crialese

For everyone that has seen “Rain Man”, Valeria Golino played the part of Tom Cruise’s Italian girlfriend who helps manage his Ferrari office in L.A. because she can communicate with the Ferrari office in Italy.

Valeria plays a young mother named “Grazia” who lives on a Mediterranean island in Italy, of course and it’s a paradise as well as a bit mysterious and very beautiful. This describes “Grazia” very well played by Golina. She’s wild, carefree, courageous and lives in total bliss in this beautiful village. Her husband works hard as a fisherman, not knowing what she does all day, and the village gossips about her. She has three children who adore her and protect her from herself. She jumps in the emerald green waters fully dressed, sometimes not dressed at all, but can turn into a violent woman without a minute’s notice and needs to be medicated to calm her down. Despite her erratic behavior, the villagers still love her because she’s a good soul. One day, her behavior goes overboard and the villagers demand her husband have her committed and she leaves home causing the entire island and her frantic husband to go searching for her. They see her swimming in the gorgeous waters, convinced she’s dead but as if she’s part of the water that she loves so much. I’ll leave the ending for you to watch.

This film won the 2002 Critics Week Grand Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival; 2002 Telluride Film Festival as official selection and also in Toronto’s Film Festival. Roger Ebert calls it a triumph.

Visually, the movie kept you watching and of course Galino and her two sons “steal the show”. What’s intriguing about this movie is that you don’t think these people are actors. The director, Emanuele Crialese has had a couple of hits in directing and is going to be around for a long time as one of the best.