I'm Not Scared (2004) Movie Information:

I'm Not Scared (2004) Directed by: Gabriele Salvatores I'm Not Scared (2004) Written by: Niccolò Ammaniti, Francesca Marciano I'm Not Scared (2004) Cast: Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Dino Abbrescia, Giuseppe Cristiano, Diego Abatantuono, Riccardo Zinna, Mattia Di Pierro, Stefano Biase, Giorgio Careccia, Giulia Matturo, Suzy Sanchez

I'm Not Scared (2004) U.S. Distributor: Miramax I'm Not Scared (2004) U.K. Distributor: Buena Vista

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I'm Not Scared (2004) Synopsis:

It's 1978 and the hottest summer of the century in Apulia, a village in southern Italy. The few adults that live in this desolate place have retreated inside their houses to escape the murderous heat. The only ones who dare to venture outside are the kids, who ride around on their bicycles in the midst of golden cornfields. When nine-year-old Michele comes across a boy shackled in a hole, he discovers that the entire town may be complicit in an evil ransom scheme.

I'm Not Scared (2004) Movie Review:

I'm Not Scared, the latest movie from Italian director Gabriele Salvatores (whose Mediterraneo won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1992), tells of a crime and its impact from the point-of-view of a ten-year old boy. What begins as a fairly commonplace coming-of-age story (a genre that is prevalent amongst imports) gradually develops into a mystery, then a thriller. By keeping our perspective in synch with that of the young protagonist, Salvatores allows the film to generate more intrigue than the plot, if presented in straightforward manner, might allow.

It's the summer of 1978, and Michele (Giuseppe Cristano) and his family are spending the season as any rural Southern Italian family might. When he isn't required to do chores, Michele is out playing with his friends, doing dares, and riding his bicycle. One day, while searching around an abandoned building, Michele discovers a covered pit. At the bottom is a boy named Filippo (Mattia Di Pierro), who is constrained from leaving by a chain around his leg. At first, Michele is intimidated by the boy, but he eventually climbs down into the hole and makes contact. He and Filippo initiate a tentative friendship. For Michele, key questions remain. Who is Filippo? Why is he trapped in the pit? Gradually, the answers become clear, and they have disturbing implications for Michele, his mother (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), his father (Dino Abbrescia), and a Brazilian stranger named Sergio (Diego Abatantuono), who has only recently arrived in the village.

The most impressive thing Salvatores has accomplished with I'm Not Scared is the successful fusion of multiple genres. The nostalgic, innocent flavor of a period-piece coming-of-age tale is very much in evidence, but it gives way to a growing sense of unease as we realize that all is not right in this seemingly idyllic village. By the final act, this has become a thriller, with the possibility of death or other dire consequences looming over the young protagonist. What makes this such an engaging experience is the screenplay's perspective. How many movies of this sort are made with the world seen through the eyes of a ten-year old? (The only other recent example I can recall is 1992's Flight of the Innocent, also from Italy.) Things that might be obvious to adults are not obvious to Michele, and Salvatores successfully keeps us in the dark with him.

The acting is strong across-the-board. Internationally, the best-known of the cast members is Aitana Sanchez-Gijon (A Walk in the Clouds, The Chambermaid on the Titanic), whose role is a staple of the coming-of-age movie: the strong mother whose driving goal is to keep her family safe and together. Diego Abatantuono, who plays the close-mouthed Sergio with more than a hint of the ominous, is a familiar actor in Italy, and previously appeared in Mediterraneo. For Giuseppe Cristiano and Mattia Di Pierro, this represents their film debut, and both acquit themselves admirably. We never see the actor behind the character.

Miramax Films, the North American distributor of I'm Not Scared, has decided to release this film rather than allow it to languish on their shelves (as has become commonplace with certain low-priority Miramax acquisitions). With its unique perspective on both the coming-of-age and thriller genres, the movie deserves to be seen by a wider audience than the one that normally frequents subtitled movies.

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I'm Not Scared (2004) review written by: James Berardinelli