Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
While Arturo tries to gain the love of Flora, he witnesses the history of Sicily from 1969 to 1992, miraculously dodging the crimes of the Mafia and supporting as a journalist the heroic struggle of the judges and policemen who fought this infamous organization.
Pierfrancesco Diliberto's debut feature is a genuinely singular achievement — a tragicomic love story interwoven with the real history of the Sicilian Mafia's most brutal decades, blending personal romance with political elegy in a tone that is entirely its own. The plot is inventively structured, using Arturo's naive romantic pursuit as a throughline that keeps bumping into historical atrocities, generating both comedy and devastating pathos. The ending, which memorializes the real judges Falcone and Borsellino, lands with unexpected emotional weight and moral seriousness. Novelty is high because this blend of personal coming-of-age, romantic comedy, and genuine historical tragedy about organized crime is rare and executed with a distinct Sicilian voice. Cinematography is competent and evocative of the era without being visually ambitious. Acting serves the material well but doesn't transcend it. Overall a well-above-average film with a unique conception.