I'm Not Scared (2003)

Load of rubbish!!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I'M NOT SCARED, despite the thriller-ish premise, is a film that's all about friendship: a growing bond that develops between an Italian boy and the kidnapped child he finds being held to ransom in a filthy pit. In many ways, it's similar to the later WW2 film THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, and viewing the two films side-by-side it's clear that the director of the latter production clearly mined this movie for inspiration.Despite the praise lavished upon it, I found I'M NOT SCARED to be overblown and over-hyped, much like THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS. The central story of the friendship between the two boys is pretty dull, and given the nature of the premise not nearly enough is made of the repercussions. What incident does arise is muted and perfunctory, and I found it hard to like or care about any of the characters. The adults are all hateful, and the kids are sullen and rude. Even the kidnapped boy, with whom the viewer should easily empathise, seems slow-witted and unaware of his situation, which makes it hard for the viewer to sympathise with his plight.The director certainly gets his mileage out of beautifully-framed shots of characters wandering through corn fields in the glorious summer sun, but overall there's little going on and virtually no meat on the bones of this atmospheric but lacking in substance movie. It's certainly not a film to remember.

I just happened upon "I'm Not Scared" at the library. I'd seen the preview several times through the years, thought it looked good, and never came across it 'til today. I'm so glad I finally did! This is a truly beautiful film, from the stunning cinematography all the way to the very emotional story of two young boys meeting under extraordinary (and scary) circumstances. The acting was fantastic, particularly the young protagonist played by Giuseppe Christiano.It's almost like a crime thriller told in story-book-speak. Pretty understandable since it's seen and told through the eyes of children.Absolutely brilliant and unique! I can't BELIEVE this escaped Oscar notice!!!

A nice hint of mystery, some gorgeous Italian countrysides and a mix of classical background music all lend the proper touches to this sensitive coming of age story involving a pre-teen boy who befriends a kidnapped boy in a cave and only gradually comes to learn anything about the circumstances that put him there.GIUSEPPE CRISTIANO is the inquisitive boy who decides to help the victim escape his being executed by some villagers who hold meetings overheard by the boy. The story is slowly paced and we only learn a few outlines of the story as the boy does, but since it's mostly a character study of a sensitive youth who wants to do the right thing, it works best on that level.The sumptuous color photography of the wheat fields and the glorious classical music in the background are factors that weigh heavily on the film's success in luring a discriminate viewer to enjoy what the film has to offer. The interaction of children at play is very natural, and the performance of Giuseppe Cristiano is first rate since he must carry most of the film on his small shoulders.An interesting tale, told with simplicity but dealing honestly with some of the harsher elements of adult life. Told from the viewpoint of the child actor, it's a first rate piece of film making from director Gabriele Salvatores.The only disappointment comes in the resolution--an ending that tells us nothing of the eventual fate of those involved.

'I'm Not Scared' tells the story of a boy whose idyllic childhood in southern Italy is disturbed by the return home of his father, and his discovery of a dark secret linked to his father's absence. The film is nicely acted and shot, although it lacks the atmospheric depth of Andrei Zyagintsev's 'The Return'; it also made me think of Guy Burt's novel 'The Dandelion Clock', with which it shares a different set of similarities but which arguably presents a more interesting construction. Whereas, although this is not a bad film, I never felt it offered anything beyond its basic premise, although this itself is well worked through and never overplayed; still, I'm a little surprised at the number of awards it has won.