Franco Castellano Movies

Hungarian director Andor Szilagyi received a much-coveted Crystal Globe nomination at the Karlovy-Vary Film Festival for directing this period drama. The film unfolds in WWII-era Budapest, Hungary (in the fall of 1944) and follows the plight of a Jewish clan, the Halasz family, as they hide from the Nazis and struggle to evade capture. Throughout this experience, they are joined by an opera singer, Imre Rosza, alleged to have such a beautiful voice that it will deliver from harm anyone in his presence. Szilagyi filters much of the story through the eyes of the family's 14-year-old son, Tomi (David Zum). Franco Castellano and Ildiko Bansagi co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

In this drama, Malena (Beatriz Spelzini) was born and raised in Argentina, where she fell victim to violence and abuse by government-backed right-wing forces. In time, Malena was able to escape to Italy, where she became involved with a group of political radicals and later married a man named Nanni (Emilio Bonucci). After the group became involved in a conspiracy to murder a judge, a few of their number informed on them to the police, and as a result several ended up behind bars. One of Malena's former associates, Roberto (Franco Castellano), has just been released from prison after serving 18 years for his part in the assassination plot. Roberto wants Malena to join him in a plan to get revenge against those who informed against him. Malena, however, is torn; all these years later, most of the former radicals (including the informers) are now respectable members of the community and she's loathe to disrupt their new lives, and while she feels a loyalty to Roberto, they were once lovers as well as comrades, which complicates matters in her relationship with Nanni. Riconciliati was shown in competition at the 2001 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide