Waste of time

From my favorite movies..

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

This is an excellent film with many factors contributing to its success.Original And Creative Story: The story is captivating, original and of great creativity. To be honest, it is really hard to find a thriller as good as this set in the relaxing environment of the countryside where there are only herbs and fields extending to seemingly nothingness.Well-organized Script: The script is amazingly written, managing to provide viewers with relaxing yet thrilling surroundings as the plot unfolds. The way of handling the emotions is balanced and masterful, especially the emphasis of the beauty of nature.Great Cinematography: The scenery is just breathtaking, as rarely do we have the chance to enjoy a crime film in such a beautiful environment. The open fields and the sky, and the variation of weather conditions are designed and inserted appropriately.Powerful Performance: The cast has done a great job handling such a script with twists and unexpected happenings, as well as transitions of emotions and states. The younger actors are more deserving of the praise, but the adult cast members are equally brilliant.All in all, "I'm Not Scared" is a rare film combining the beauty of nature, the nature of mankind, and the innocence of youth. Behind the curtain, it lies a compelling crime thriller that is never devoid of tension and thrills.

This is the first film directed by Salvatores that I watch(though I've been considering checking out Nirvana for quite a bit of time), and it will not be the last. He directs this beautifully, building atmosphere with undeniable skill and captivating our attention for the duration of this, with a psychological thriller told entirely from the perspective of children, specifically the boy Michele. Cristiano is flawless in his portrayal of a realistic kid. Every single character is completely credible, and while not everyone is treated to a lot of on-screen development(on account of the limitations that came with the chosen approach to the material), no one feels one-note. All of the acting performances are amazing. The plot is compelling and you can't stop guessing what will happen next. This has spot-on pacing, it is not boring or overwhelming at any point. The writing is excellent in every respect, story, dialog, everything. This has incredible editing and cinematography, aiding in rendering this utterly gripping from start to finish. The sound and music are astonishing, and used marvelously well. There is infrequent moderate to strong language in this, as well as some disturbing content and one clear hint towards sexuality. The Scandinavian DVD comes with a commentary track, two featurettes(five and a half and twelve minutes in duration, respectively) and a trailer. While I would gladly comment on the quality of these extras, not one of them were subtitled, and, not speaking Italian, I did not understand what was said in them. I recommend this picture to any and all fans of the genres. 8/10

Admiration for Gabriele Salvatores' "I'm Not Scared" abounds here, and it comes from several angles, but there is one important point that seems to have gone missing. And that is Michele's singularly un-male identity. Since I do not know Salvatores' work, I don't know his intentions, but there's no mistaking this very rare result.Michele seems to have a gut instinct about power abuse. And specifically that of the male sort. Twice he intervenes to halt sexist attacks--once on a girl pal, and once on his mother. He does not tell himself it is her business, or his fun, or his right--he acts on what he knows. And his whole rescue mission on behalf of Filippo is in a similar vein, because it is a group of men (blackmailers) who put this young boy in such a vulnerable, life-threatening position. What is convincing about this is that none of his risky responses seem individual or heroic, but rather social/moral in nature. In his public acts, one senses the influence and courage of his mother, Filippo, his sister and others.And what is remarkable in all this is that Michele has not one masculine impulse. He arm wrestles his father once, but it is hardly a power struggle, and he accepts help from his sister to achieve "victory." He has a convincing, unshowy, and true affection for Filippo, his mother, his sister, and withholds this affection from those whose actions and words have a male cast. He's also unselfconsciously thin and solitary; has an unsentamentalized relationship with nature; and although very much a part of a social web, shows no signs of male bonding (based in female exclusion).My unapologetic wish is that more Michele's will populate the silver screen--but I'm not holding my breath in anticipation.

Predictable and uninteresting. Lack of story cannot be helped by pompous music and an abundance of golden fields (you get sick of them) with hedgehogs, frogs, owls, ants and other animals just making the scenery too perfect. If it would have been an American movie it would have been plain crap. The Italian language and environment makes it somewhat worth seeing. Its hard to find really good Italian films. Ladri di biciclette, nuovo cinema paradiso, il postino and la vita è bella are the only ones I've found so far. (I don't really care for older Italian films because they really have aged to much to be enjoyable.)