BAARIA (2009) - ♦♦♦

Directed by - Giuseppe Tornatore

Written by - Giuseppe Tornatore

Starring - Francesco Scianna, Margareth Madé, Raoul Bova

"The story of three generations of a family names Torrenuova, from the titular Southern Italian village, a story that inevitably runs through many social, cultural, political and historical changes of Southern Italy in the early part of the twentieth century. 

Giuseppe Tornarore returns to a specific geographical and historical setting that he successfully had brought to the big screen in his previous celebrated works like Malena and his masterpiece Cinema Paradiso. 

Baaria is fascinating in a lot of ways and hopelessly frustrating in just as many others. While the film looks spectacular and undoubtedly ambitious. Particular attention to achieving a faithful and genuine type of atmosphere that takes us back to the film's intended time and place, particularly in its art direction does not go unnoticed. Ennio Morricone also contributes with another excellent memorable original score.

Nevertheless, the film overflows with excesses, understandibly so, Baaria obviously being Tornatore's very subjective vanity project. The cinematography is far too aware of itself throughout, and even the mise en scene makes the film seem artificial, giving off a style over substance vibe. Equally as baffling are the countless supporting characters, an element that could have been one of Baaria's strong points but in the end actually contributes to a frustrating lack of a focused central storyline.

Drama, Italy/France