IL POSTINO

3/4

A film about poetry that is a poem, as a friend of mine said. It flows in meter. Stanzas, rather than scenes. Parallel emotions replace rhyme. And expressions that often do more than vocabulary ever could, effectively replacing it.

 It was, for me, a very close call between this film and SENSE & SENSIBILITY in the Oscar race. SENSE won out in the film-making department, but as far as eloquence of the stories is concerned, they are neck and neck.

 I saw this film a long time ago, and nearly rented it just so my review wouldn't seem to be covered with cobwebs. But this particular film stands out strikingly in my memory. So I'll give it a go and save a few bucks.

 This film begins very small and ends big. We are introduced right away to the main character (not yet a postman) and his very specific problems. He is unemployed, and lonely, and out of place in his current setting--living with his father. These are not treated as large problems, as they might be in an American film, but merely as unfortunate predicaments in an otherwise unobjectionable (though uneventful) life.

 The story truly begins with two events--first: the postman-to-be falls in love with a beautiful bartender, a hopeless love until--b: the job as a postman is acquired and a delivery needs to be made to the famed poet Pablo Neruda. He is currently in exile from his native Chile, and his poetry, the postman believes, is the key to winning the heart of the postman's new love.

 What follows is a development of those two key relationships, and of the main character--who possesses a truly guileless soul. Additionally, elements of friendship are explored when the Poet leaves the island and we see (or hear) his perspective on life at the island. Before the film's end, both he and the audience are in for a lesson in not only poetry, but in generosity of the heart.

 I have to mention this lesson in poetry. For some reason it hit hard, even though it was a very simple series of shots and sounds. The way it was executed transformed it into a window into the simple heart of the postman. It takes place after you certain events have transpired to make it all the more poignant. It is beautiful.

 There are many moments that stand out, and mostly because of the skill of the cast, wonderful actors all. Most especially the star.

 Massimo Troisi is/was a master. I regretted having never heard of him until this movie, and then hearing of his death before I knew the dimensions of the loss.

 For those who haven't heard the story: Mr. Troisi died the day after filming ended. He had what proved to be a fatal heart condition, which becomes a testament to his acting skills as you watch him pedal up hills that would leave me tired at just the prospect of biking them.

 The word simple keeps popping up when you think of this movie. It is elegant simplicity. And it draws your thoughts to the points it addresses without belabored handling. Thoroughly well-done, and very entertaining. One of the best films of the year.