L'amore di Màrja (2002) User Reviews

Alienation of an immigrant

[paaskynen · 15 November 2011]

If some of the reviews of this film prove anything, it is that Sicilians are apparently easily offended.

The plot is autobiographical, based on the experiences of writer and director Anne-Riitta Ciccone. It is the story of how a girl moves to a small town in Sicily with her Finnish mother and Italian father in the early 1970s. As many immigrants everywhere the world, the Finnish mother finds it hard to be accepted by the local community and it has a profound effect on her life and the lives of her two daughters.

The film lovingly documents the struggle of Marja seen through the eyes of her sometimes rebellious daughter. It is a well-made relationship drama and not a pro-Finland or anti-Sicily pamphlet.

The fair of stereotypes

[simlegg · 3/10 · 12 September 2005]

Hi all,

this is the perfect example of YASM = yet another stereotype movie. Movies like this only contribute to increase the bad image that people in the world have of such a beautiful land like Sicily.

As a Sicilian man living abroad, tho, in Finland, I have been listening for ages the comments on movies like the Godfather. Incredible but true, people still think that in Sicily we live like that. Luckily enough, this movie will not be able to make as many damages as the world-famous "Godfather".

The movie, set in the '70s, is sort of a biographic story of a girl, with Sicilian father and Finnish mother, and a younger sister. They moved to Sicily and ... since then the movie can be summarized in four words: Sicily = hell Finland = paradise

Sicily is not the perfect world and Finland is an indeed very nice country. In fact, I live here. But you cannot give such an unbalanced picture of the world. The result? I can already read "motherly advices" of other users, who are Finnish (swedish speaking, which is probably a benefit, if they need to specify it) but are more retrograde of the Sicilian characters of the movie.

The movie has already done the damage, because the motherly advice consists in considering the relationship with a Mexican guy, apparently on the basis that he is Mexican (and therefore, almost Sicilian, here the comment is not clear).

Sorry for breaking a bit the rule of not commenting other posts, but I did it to give an example on how the movie can spoil the image of Sicily.

My recommendation: if you want to watch it, it is your choice, but BE CAREFUL that Sicily is far other thing. Go visit it if you don't believe it. BR Simone Italian-speaking Italian. (Often pronounced as Simone by my beloved grandmother, who was Sicilian-speaking)

Stereotypes of a Sicily in 1970

[dkk9823 · 4/10 · 11 September 2005]

Hi everybody! I found the movie really an exaggeration of all the most common stereotypes about Sicily. I hope that the audience of such a movie is aware that this is a movie set in a small town of Sicily of 40 years ago, and that it does not ABSOLUTELY describe how cities are there nowadays.

To all people that think that this is the reality, I strongly invite you going visiting Sicily. The movie was made on purpose to describe terrible happenings only and make Sicily and its inhabitants appear as the very hell... The part I disagree most is especially the beginning where Marja was a so good holy creature and everybody else was a devil... even the music in the background recalled the hell, whereas look at the peaceful music background played during those few extremely peaceful parts set in Finland, during the sauna near the lake (rantasauna) in the middle of the forest...

Reading the comment of Masuchris (which wanted to give a motherly advice to her 17 years old daughter about marrying a Mexican guy or from any other terrible nation) really confirmed my fears: people cannot really make the difference between a movie talking about the worst case, the worst possible experience one can have in a certain place and what the reality is normally.

Please, do not believe that this has been a good description of what Sicily is, because it is not.

Stirring up emotions...

[masuchris · 9/10 · 28 August 2005]

I saw the film today at the Espoociné festival and felt the film gave me just the things I want: more emotional experiences and experiences that make you feel more content with life. The film music was in my opinion adequate as it tuned the feelings of fear, restlessness and despair .I had my 17-year old daughter with me. She has fallen in love with a lovely Mexican boy this spring and I wanted to give her indirectly a piece of motherly advice...She liked the film and saw of course the whole point why I had taken her there. We had a good discussion afterward... So thank you for a film that stirred up emotions and made me cry. I want that! BR Maria, Swedish-speaking Finn (Often pronounced as Marja by my mother-in-law, who is Finnish-speaking)

What mental imprisonment can do to your mind

[prenumerera · 10/10 · 12 August 2006]

This is the best movie I've seen this year. Maybe because I was in a good mood, but I kept thinking about this movie hours after I got out of the cinema. I am not a native English speaker, please excuse my bad English.

There are many parts I love about "La Amore di Màrja". Image, music, atmosphere, joy, despair, selfishness, giving, taking, needing, dreaming, surrealism, realism, etc. Every little bit of this movie is very thought through. The movie is something of an instruction book on how to break down a person and do it through the children, they are the battering ram the husband can use to keep Marja in the home and if she leaves she will have to leave her children. She becomes a prisoner in her own home, and this affects her and their children deeply.

Now there is a challenge for you as a viewer. Even though most of the Sicilians in this movie are somewhat evil, you have to realize that this movie, even though it takes place in Sicily it is not about Sicily. This behavior could take place anywhere. The message is not "this is how evil Sicilians can be" rather "this is how evil people can be, so stop it if you can".

incredible and touching movie to make you think..

[beachboy1893 · 10/10 · 7 February 2006]

this movie shows, very sadly, how things are still nowadays in many families. Choosing Sicily as location is perhaps a bit stereotypical but no matter if you are in Sicily, or in Manhattan : a lot of people depend on other's opinion, damaging themselves and the people they love.. The story of Màrja is that of many women and her increasingly isolation is the result of the society that surrounds her.. A movie that makes us understand that we must think about our happiness and hour sanity and just live our way! Another important message is that of love, not "MArja's Love", but the love that witnesses the two daughters...The movie is very touching, with beautiful photography, music and great actors, from the stunning performance by Laura Malmivaaraby to that of Vincenzo Peluso, then those of the daughters, simply perfect! A must!