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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Movietime in Manhattan: Whom You Know Recommends "Light of My Eyes"

At Whom You Know, we are not crazy about the regular or the ordinary.  Anyone can go to any movie theatre and see the regular movies that show up as blockbusters, and many of them are overrated and market to the LCD.  (Except for anything Sandra Bullock is in; we love her.) We like things that are higher caliber that speak to intelligent people.  Film Movement has not disappointed us!  (Although we have picked movies from them that appeal to places we like: England, France, Italy...we are waiting for them to do Ireland.)

"Light of My Eyes" is a total hit from Italy. If you are not accustomed to watching movies with subtitles in a language you can't understand or speak, it is an eye-opening experience and "Light of My Eyes" is a great one to begin with.  In Italian, it has some universal human and family themes that speak to the audience universally.   Antonio is a fallen angel, a rootless chauffeur in Rome, who relates only to the lonely heroes in the pulp science fiction novels of his childhood. Only through a chance encounter with Maria, a woman struggling to hold onto her daughter and her business, does he discover a hope that’s been lacking in his detached
existence. Antonio is drawn into the suffering of Maria’s world, where she draws her inner strength from her fragile solitude. A haunting score, poetic atmosphere and award-winning lyrical performances by the two leads evoke the beauty of a precarious existence.  This is a beautiful film and the acting is excellent.  However, if you don't speak Italian do not leave the screen for one minute, even to get your popcorn, because you could miss something big!  Whom You Know Recommends "Light of My Eyes."

WINNER - Best Actor and Best Actress – Venice Film Festival
WINNER - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting
Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design Winner –
David di Donatello Awards (Italian Academy Awards)



Italy / 2001 / Italian with English subtitles / 113 min.

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