Baarìa (2009)

BAARÌA  (2009)  ¢ ¢ ¢ ¢
    D: Giuseppe Tornatore
    Francesco Scianna, Margareth Madè, Giorgio Faletti,
    Enrico Lo Verso, Angela Molina, Leo Gullota
Giuseppe Tornatore's memory piece about life in Sicily in the age of Mussolini and beyond is an epic told in snapshots, the story of a town and its people through a half-century of struggle and resilience, movies and books, strong teeth and broken eggs, love and death and personal grudges and practical jokes and political upheaval. It follows an illiterate young peasant named Peppino from milking cows and herding sheep through a lifelong battle to make a living and provide for his family, while retaining his ideals as a determined but not terribly effective leader in the local Communist Party. It's a funny, affectionate, life-affirming journey through time, with maybe a touch of magic around the edges. By the time the end credits roll, you don't feel so much like you've watched a movie as lived in it.