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Il postino (1994)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/12
8/12:
Plenty of misconceptions abound for Il postino which is Italian for The Postman.
Many potential viewers may have seen the trailer that features a sultry, dark-haired female holding a ping pong ball in her
mouth which indicates it might be another 9½ Weeks. It turns out it's not that kind of
picture. Some might think it's about embracing communism. It's hardly the case. Perhaps it's a rip-off of
Cyrano de Bergerac, but it's not.
Additionally, Il postino had been billed as a "romantic comedy." Yes, romantic, but a comedy? Absolutely not. Now, what the
movie is is a simple friendship between a famous poet and a sycophant. Perhaps it doesn't mean much to the former but
means the world to the latter.
In a way, it can be ridiculous to watch Mario carrying on with the theme; however, it's an Italian film that's buoyed by Massimo
Troisi's performance with Philippe Noiret's help. Why I say it helps for Il postino to be Italian is that if it
was American instead, forget about it. Also, the gorgeous scenery of Italy is a winning feature. After a while, getting used
to the incipient plot and sensing the direction that it's heading into, the whole thing becomes easy to like.
An interesting trivia, as taken from IMDb, is: "Writer/co-director/star Massimo Troisi (only 41 years of age)
postponed heart surgery, so he could complete the film. The day after filming was complete, he suffered a fatal heart attack."
Now, that's what they mean when one dies by doing what he loves to do. Or maybe it was the ping pong ball moment that did it.
All in all, no matter how it's viewed, Il postino is an excellent picture.