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Reviews
The Amati Girls (2000)
Realistic and Relevant
As someone who is full-blooded Italian and has lost her oldest sister and her father, I can complete relate to this movie. When I saw it in 2000, my father was still alive, but he has since passed on, and this now seems even more true to life now that I am dealing with that loss, as well. If you are a family full of Italian women with very different personalities coming under one umbrella, you will really appreciate the context of this movie. It's a good movie for grieving people also. Sadly, it isn't pop your eyes out disgusting or full of unrelated sex scenes; just a basic plot of people trying to survive one of life's most unpleasant experiences. I think this movie is just excellent and well-done. I loved every single character in the family, as well as the supporting roles.
Message to My Daughter (1973)
The First Really Sad Movie I Ever Saw
The first time I saw this movie I was 9 or 10. The movie is much more about the mother whose recounting events on a audio tapes for her daughter. Her daughter listens to the tapes when she is about 17 or 18. I don't want to give too much away, but by the end of the movie you are totally experiencing the multiplicity of emotions that her daughter experiences. I loved every single person in this movie - all of them. If you need a super deep cry, grab this one and a large box of Kleenex. It is moving, touching, and as the other reviewer said, way ahead of its time.
PS - This is not sappy, unrealistic or predictable, either. It's not a "Terms of Endearment" or anything like that, either.