Lamerica

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Tom d I've watched weil over a thousand films in my life, and this is one of the very best: devastating, overwhelming, even more relevant now than it was in 1994 when it was released, and will only become more so going forward. I have a copy of it, but I can't believe there's still nowhere you can stream it. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/25 Full Review S R 1001 movies to see before you die (added later). Having visited Albania in 1991, I knew what this was all about and how much of it was accurate. I was glad they told this story, but at the same time it was not nearly as effective as it could have been. So much of it was so ridiculous. Perhaps because I saw it dubbed made it so cheesy at times. RUS. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/28/24 Full Review William L One of those hard-to-find world films on the 1001 Movies that one day you'll find a random link to and get a rush like an unexpected Christmas present. Though here's a pro tip - when watching a film about culture clash and miscommunication in which neither of the languages spoken is your own, I'd suggest not relying on YouTube auto-generated realtime subtitles. A solid exploration of the dynamic between two disparate cultures and the assumptions that go along with those relationships, Lamerica tackles the relationship between citizens of a postwar Italy booming with enterprise and those of one of its less fortunate neighbors, Albania, whom the former look down on as lesser, more as a resource to be exploited. Lo Verso's Gino is forced to confront his own materialism, sense of superiority, biases, and moral flexibility as he takes an Albanian, Mazzarelli's Spiro, on a journey to fulfill the role of a patsy in a scam enterprise (only to discover that he is actually an unfortunate fellow Sicilian). What follows is a crisis of identity that shakes Gino deeply; he bears witness to poverty which he had not considered previously and ultimately is forced to endure similar conditions. Is it a tremendously innovative and insightful film? Not particularly, but it has its moments of power to balance out the pandering and a surprising degree of technical capability (the reveal of the refugee ship is a stunning moment, just considering the organizational practicality alone), and the performances are good. Considering the unresolved and expanding problems associated with poverty and refugee movements, Lamerica can still sting. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/23/21 Full Review Audience Member In bilico tra realismo e poesia, un film intelligente che porta l'italiano ad immedesimarsi con gli albanesi che sbarcano in Italia. La grande sorpresa è Carmelo di Mazzarelli, che comincia la sua carriera di attore a 80 anni. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member This film is incredible, to say the least. From start to finish, the film has an energy that continually draws the audience into the characters and forces them to see their point of view. Phenomenal visuals. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member This isnt just a story of we should all get along, its far more intricate. It is a story about historical continuity, colonialism, immigration, Europe vs. east, rich vs. poor, ex-communism. All of these ideas come together into this film. From when it begins we are given shots of Albania under Mussolinis occupation, then seamlessly brought into the world of 1991, as if nothing has changed. An Albanian guide who comes to greet the new Italian investors gestures to them by making a quasi fascist salute. The movie transitions quickly from an embezzlement scheme to a movie about human misery and suffering. The two main actors from the film (Enrico Lo Verso and Carmelo Di Mazzarelli) begin with very subtle roles that eventually grew until the climax of the film. As they travel together across Albania they seem to resemble two distinct worlds brought together in this land trapped in time. One still imagines that he is young soldier in army of Mussolini, the other lives fifty years ahead, both are trying to get back home; yet both live in separate worlds. The complications of their relationship are built off of this very difference and similarity. The older one is also trapped, experiencing the horrors of war and instability from an inside perspective (as it was occurring in Italy); the other from without. The impossibility of Talaricos dreams are not what is important, he himself seems to be an unreal figure in that world. What is important are his very dreams, the dreams and fears that represent a generation of Italians themselves By the end of the film, when pride is finally humbled and the situation for Gino has become no different than that of Albanians, we see a final sequence on a boat headed for Italy. An image reminiscent of the old days of immigration to New York. Who is Italian? Who is Albanian? Everything is confused. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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