Malèna

The third movie is probably the most beautiful coming of age and infatuation movie… and my first Monica Bellucci movie... I ever seen. This outstanding 2000 movie written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore tells the story of a 1940’s schoolboy that falls for the most beautiful and desired woman in a small gossipy Sicilian town. The linear story hides another more dramatic story about women with their husbands at war that are left alone in a small closed environment and what they have to do to continue living.

This movie was nominated for two Oscars, won 3 awards and had 13 nominations in awards and festivals around the globe.

Before Malèna, Monica Bellucci was better known as a model, but she had 10 years as an actress and 20+ movies. But it was this movie that projected her outside Italy and into international cinema including Hollywood with her The Matrix Persephone character. There is another movie where Bellucci is just outstanding, the French Irrèversible directed by Gaspar Noè; it may not be a movie suitable for all audiences, as it is best known for the famous 10-minute rape scene and its avant-garde style, but is one movie not to miss.

Since 2000 she has been in around 22 movies, including the comedy She Hate Me where she plays a lesbian daughter of a Mafioso that wants to have a baby and pays for a donor and The Passion of Christ where she plays Magdalen. Currently she has three in production movies starring with Clive Owen, Daniel Auteuil and Patrick Cooper in each project.

Monica has won 1 award and has 8 nominations in festivals and awards around the world, including a nomination for best kiss in the MTV Awards! Well, I tend to watch everything where Monica Bellucci is in.