Original Title
Il giovane favoloso
Genre
Biography | Drama | History
Director
Mario Martone
Country
Italy
Cast
Elio Germano, Isabella Ragonese, Anna Mouglalis, Michele Riondino, Massimo Popolizio, Valerio Binasco, Paolo Graziosi, Iaia Forte, Sandro Lombardi, Raffaella Giordano, Edoardo Natoli, Federica De Cola
Storyline
The film tells the short but fruitful life of the great Italian poet and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi (Elio Germano).
Opinion
I won't waste time saying how much I love Giacomo Leopardi's work. Just shame on me for catching "Leopardi" up only now because it truly is a stunning, emotional film that wonderfully portrays the life of one of the greatest Italian poets ever lived.
The problem with biopics is that they tend to be quite tedious if not handled properly, especially if you already are familiar with the biography of the portrayed figure, but this film is quite the opposite to that. Rather it is a surprisingly smooth film, without a single dull moment, that tells the tormented life of a man. And I'd like to point out that the writers - Mario Martone and Ippolita Di Majo - decided to tell the story of Leopardi's life chronologically.
In addition, staying true to the poet - or at least it was for me -, director Mario Martone didn't make use of the melancholy of the poet, and the way he saw the world, but he decided to focus on the poetry, and let it speak by itself. And it is through those beautiful poems that we see the real Leopardi: a restless mind, a tormented man, a wandering child.
The screenplay and the direction are not the only great things about the film. In fact, the scenery plays a very important role, as it manages to capture the essence of Leopardi. The costumes are also beautiful, so are the cinematography and the musical score.
At last but not least, the acting, or should I say the leading actor, Elio Germano. He was given a character that is definitely not easy to work with, but he nailed it. Basically he became Leopardi and his portrayal was so astonishing it almost felt like he was Leopardi. Easily one of the best performances of recent years.
The problem with biopics is that they tend to be quite tedious if not handled properly, especially if you already are familiar with the biography of the portrayed figure, but this film is quite the opposite to that. Rather it is a surprisingly smooth film, without a single dull moment, that tells the tormented life of a man. And I'd like to point out that the writers - Mario Martone and Ippolita Di Majo - decided to tell the story of Leopardi's life chronologically.In addition, staying true to the poet - or at least it was for me -, director Mario Martone didn't make use of the melancholy of the poet, and the way he saw the world, but he decided to focus on the poetry, and let it speak by itself. And it is through those beautiful poems that we see the real Leopardi: a restless mind, a tormented man, a wandering child.
The screenplay and the direction are not the only great things about the film. In fact, the scenery plays a very important role, as it manages to capture the essence of Leopardi. The costumes are also beautiful, so are the cinematography and the musical score.
At last but not least, the acting, or should I say the leading actor, Elio Germano. He was given a character that is definitely not easy to work with, but he nailed it. Basically he became Leopardi and his portrayal was so astonishing it almost felt like he was Leopardi. Easily one of the best performances of recent years.
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