The powers of imagination and the perils of growing up are brought to life in 'Malena', when a beautiful young widow ispires a boy's independence and courage amidst the chaos and intolerance of war.



Malena (Bellucci) is the most ravishing woman in Castelcuto, a sleepy Sicilian village. With her husband away at war, every step she takes is accompanied by the lustful looks of the townsmen and the resentful gossip of their envious wives. An army of skinny teens on bicycles follows her everywhere just to stare at her exquisite, archetypal beauty. Amongst them is Renato Amoroso, a 13-year old boy (Sulfaro) whose adolescence is coinciding with the climax of WWII in Italy. Fuelled by his dreams of cinematic romance, Renato becomes Malena's secret shadow, following her every move, even as her fortunes take a turn for the worse when news reaches her of her husband's death.



From Guiseppe Tornatore, the writer and director of 'Cinema Paradiso', 'Malena' was Nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Cinematography and Screenplay and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.