il dolce e l'amaro

the director of this film, debuting in venice, also penned the screenplay for Vicere'. i for one am excited. trepidant. afraid. hopeful.

eyes peeled on donatella finocchiaro, a fine fine actress that has been compared to anna magnani (ok, yes, comparisons are annoying). a native of sicily.

here is what variety has to say:
Using an almost anthropological approach to the way Mob life can attract and then repel an average Sicilian, "The Sweet and the Bitter" might not bring much new to the anti-Mafia genre, but it's a tightly packaged, well-played, character-driven drama with the bonus of a good sense of humor. That it stars charmer Luigi Lo Cascio is an additional draw, adding complexity and sympathy to the protag without minimizing his petty egotism or brutality. Prospects at home are strong, with assured play at offshore Italo weeks, though major fest awards will be elusive

and later..
One of these days Finocchiaro will be given a role similar to her stunning turn in "Angela," but until then, this superb actress continues to bring heart and soul to everything she graces, no matter how small.