Saturday, August 27, 2016

The Wonders 2015


     Gelsomina is twelve-years-old girl and she is the head of her family of three younger sisters, her father and her mother.  The family takes care of bees for their living, they spin the honey and place it in glass jars to sell.  They live in an isolated country home.  Sometimes they have problems with their bees because pesticides are being used on the nearby farms.  Gelsomina learns about a competition among farmers that will offer money as a prize and a cruise for the family.  Gelsomina knows her father will never enter this contest but she enters for the family.
     There is a lot of conflict within the family and with the addition of Martin.  He is a fourteen-year-old boy with a history of theft and arson.  He’s staying with the family for rehabilitation and to help them work the bees.  He also doesn't speak Italian.  I wonder if it is the norm for the oldest daughter to manage the family in Italy?  3* (This movie is OK)

110 min, Drama directed by Alice Rohrwacher with Maria Alexandra Lungu, Alba Rohrwacher, Sam Louwyck, Sabine Timoteo, Agnese Graziani, Monica Bellucci, Andre Hennicke, Luis Huilca, Eva Lea Pace Morrow.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, 95% critic 67% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 2.0* out of 5* with 1 review.
Special Note:  Filmed in Sovana, San Quirico, Sorano, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy and Bagni San Filipo, Castiglione D’Orcia, Siena, Tuscany, Italy.  It is unusual for a woman to be a director in the Italian film industry.  This film is based on the memories of the director from her childhood working with her beekeeper parents.  Alba Rohrwacher is the sister of the director.

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