The Oscars are less than a month away, with Pinocchio up for two awards. The 2019 (released in December of 2020) Italian fantasy film was co-written, directed, and co-produced by Matteo Garrone. Pinocchio was based on the 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio by Italian author Carlo Collodi. The film is up for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25th, 2021.
Synopsis
Geppetto’s puppet creation, Pinocchio, magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy. Easily led astray, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped, and chased by bandits through a wonderful world full of imaginative creatures – from the belly of a giant fish to the Land of Toys and the Field of Miracles.
Story Vibe
Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio sticks close to Carlo Collodi’s original story. This is not your Disney-style film. This is a darker version, but it’s not too dark. The film is for both adults and children. In an interview regarding the tone, Garrone said:
“It was a warning to them to be careful and follow the advice of people that love you. The dark side is connected to this aspect — the consequence of Pinocchio’s bad decisions.”
This was a great change-up from the typical version we’ve seen of the film over the years.
Characters
The film stars child actor Federico Ielapi as the title character and Roberto Benigni as Geppetto. One makes your heartache for him and the other you want to shake and say “listen to your father”. The Cat and the Fox are played by Rocco Papaleo and Massimo Ceccherini. Marine Vacth plays the adult Fairy with Turquoise Hair. Also included in the cast is Gigi Proietti as Mangiafuoco. This was Proietti’s final appearance before his death in November 2020 and a fine performance it was.
Visuals
Most characters, including Pinocchio himself, were created through prosthetic make-up rather than CGI. The film is visually stunning and goes to show some stories are timeless. The soft-focus cinematography adds to the period piece which is simply magnificent. The setting seems to be in the turn of the century (20th) from the preceding Victorian era. I’m not an expert but it is one of my favorite times in the manner of dress and clothing. Hollywood could take a cue from this film that you don’t need all those CGI’s and computerized stuff to get the Avatar experience.
Mixing the golden fields of Tuscan wheat with the olive groves of southern Puglia, Nicolai Bruel’s cinematography is dripping in an Italian atmosphere. From The choices of sharecroppers’ communal farmhouses and poor Mediterranean villages by the sea I felt like I was right there with them. We the viewer also felt the hard times in which people lived. The Cinematography is beautiful in this film.
Thoughts
At first, the dialogue is somewhat stinted and feels as if it was still in Italian. What you need to know is the accents are real. This made me fall in love with the movie a little more; I’m a sucker for an accent every time. The rendering of the script into English is magnifico! Another thing about this film is that it had great pacing. It moved along at a good pace and the entire cast has a depth that no animated feature can truly achieve. I’d like to personally thank Garrone for whittling down Pinocchio’s infamous nose growing every time he tells a lie. Thankfully we are saved from that repetition by it happening in only one scene. What was cute in that scene was how his protruding proboscis was whittled back to size. All whimsically done by woodpeckers.
Grade: B
Pinocchio was the highest-grossing movie in Italy as well as one of Garrone’s most acclaimed; Italy though did not nominate in its own Oscars. Here in the states, I think it stands a good chance of taking home golden man. I give it a B and put it in my cute box and the visually amazing box.
Before we let you go, we have officially launched our merch store! Check out all of our amazing apparel when you click here and type in GVN15 at checkout for a 15% discount!
Make sure to check out our podcasts each week including Geek Vibes Live, Top 10 with Tia, Wrestling Geeks Alliance and more! For major deals and money off on Amazon, make sure to use our affiliate link!
Mamma, Mimi, Michele, call out any one of those names and I will answer. There are several hats on my shelf. My passions are photography, being outside, movies, tv, pop culture and anything haunted or spooky. People are my other interest, I love meeting new people and socializing. When I lived in Savannah GA I worked as a tour guide both haunted and historical tours. I met people from all over the world, that was the best part of the job. All of this I can write about too, that’s the beauty of being a writer.