Details
Movie Description
A young postman's world is brightened as he begins delivering letters to poet Pablo Neruda, exiled on an island off the coast of Italy. At first hoping friendship with the poet will improve his reputation with a local barmaid, he ultimately develops a genuine, touching relationship with the laureate. This was the late Massimo Troisi's final film appearance. Academy Award Nominations: 5, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor--Massimo Troisi. Academy Awards: Best Original Dramatic Score.
Synopsis
Chilean poet Pablo Neruda has been exiled from his native land and is now residing on one of Italy's small and charming islands. It is there that he meets Mario, a simple man with a simple mind, whom Pablo hires as his personal mailman. Although Pablo is initially cold towards Mario, the two eventually develop a friendship, with Pablo teaching the eager Mario the joys of poetry. When Mario falls for Beatrice, a sexy barmaid, Pablo even helps him win her heart, via poetic love letters. But later, after the postman and Beatrice wed, Pablo is allowed to return to Chile, and does. Mario is now left with many aspirations, but without the wherewithal to achieve them. Years later, the Italian, now bored with his life and wife, realizes that the man who changed his perspective on the world has forgotten all about him. Desperate, Mario makes an outrageous attempt to get Pablo's attention. But only time will tell if the poet will respond.
Film Notes
An Esterno Mediterraneo Film/K2T production.
The final film of popular Italian actor Massimo Troisi. He died only a day after shooting finished, at 41 years of age.
French actor Philippe Noiret's voice is dubbed into Italian.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association voted the film runner-up for its best foreign film prize for 1995.
Once the movie made $9 million, Miramax expanded the film's release to 280 theatres across the United States, which was the most ever, at once, for a foreign-language movie.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Letterboxed - 1.66
Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0 - Italian
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Michael Radford - Director
Featurette - 1. Poems of Passion: The Return of Pablo Neruda
Montage - 1. Massimo Troisi
Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical
2. TV Spots
Industry Reviews
"...[Trosi's] wonderfully gentle and human performance anchors the film..." -- 4 out of 5 stars
Total Film - p.109 - John Wrathall (07/01/2000)
"...It's tough to imagine anyone not liking it..." -- 3 out of 4 stars
USA Today - p.7D - Mike Clark
"...The performance of [Troisi's] life..." -- Rating: B
Entertainment Weekly - pp.113-15 - Ty Burr (06/28/1996)
"...A tender and wistful comedy....Troisi brings a truth and simplicity to his character that means everything..."
Los Angeles Times - p.F6 - Kenneth Turan (06/14/1995)
"...The beauty of the film is in its quietness..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (06/23/1995)
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