From my favorite movies..

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

'Le Fate Ignoranti' was released 5 years after Ferzan Ozpetec's first (wongly acclaimed) feature film called 'Il bagno turco'. In this first film, a married man coming to Turkey to take over a Hamam ended up having an affair with a young Turkish boy, but was stabbed at the end: of course, he was 'officially' killed following orders from his rival ruthless Turkish businesswoman, but I highly suspect that he killed his bisexual character at the end to render the film more 'virtuous'. In 'Le Fate Ignoranti', which was highly prized as a sensitive drama giving voice to marginal members of society, I cannot help but notice that he maintains, once again, the same kind of schizophrenic attitude: despite describing, sometimes in an explicit way, the gay behaviour of some of his characters, the film is at the end completely ruined by an incoherent and superfluous emerging romance between the wife and the gay lover of the deceased husband:so my question is: what is the point of explicitly describing the gay behaviour and at the same time turning one of his major characters straight at the end of the film? I definitely think that this director has a problem with this issue, and that he tries every time to transmit some guilt about it to the viewer. So I am definitely convinced that he has no balls, that he is unable to clearly take a stand once for all. And I therefore have to conclude that 'Le fate Ignoranti', due to its falsely 'virtuous ending', is ultimately a huge imposture.

I found Le Fate Ignoranti to be superbly fascinating. It is a bittersweet tale of love, betrayal and friendship. Antonia is a doctor,specializing in HIV and Aids. She loses her husband, Massimo, in a tragic accident. A chance discovery of a love note from her husband's gay lover leads her on an emotional journey of realization and intrigue. Michele is the lover Massimo hid for seven years; he is equally devastated by Massimo's death. Michele lives in an exhilarating homosexual world among a group of misfits, including a transvestite, a man ill with HIV and a Turkish immigrant with a terrible secret.Together Antonia and Michele explore the ups and downs their newfound friendship, and eventually realize that they have more in common than just shared lover.I could not find one single fault with this film.Ordinarily I tend to avoid foreign films, as the message is usually lost in translation. However the true meaning of Le Fate Ignoranti is loud and clear, no matter what language you speak. The outstanding acting, flawless cinematography and charming setting make for magnificent cinematic experience. Above all the true beauty of this film lies in the way; it manages to capture its audience. It allows us to interpret the meaning to fit ourselves personally and to take something special away with us each and every time.

Antonia (Margherita Buy) and Massimo (Andrea Renzi) have a perfect petit bourgeois life : fifteen years of marriage, living in a wonderful house by the lake, having no children by option, their lives looks like a fairy tale. One day, while crossing the street , Massimo is killed by a car. Antonia accidentally finds a picture called `Le Fate Ignoranti' with a dedication from a lover in its back. Antonia begins to investigate and finds that the lover is indeed a gay, Michele (Stefano Accorci), living in a gay community. Her husband had had a double life along the last seven years of his life. Antonia feels a kind of attraction for those persons, specially by Michele, maybe trying to understand her husband feelings, and in the end, becomes a new woman, like phoenix. Although being a gay movie, with a gay director and environment, this story is very sensitive and unusual. There is no cliches, it is not corny and the cast is sharp. I liked very much, but I also recognized that it is indicated for a very specific audience. The beautiful Margherita Buy has a magnificent performance, as a woman who sees her perfect world ruining twice after the death of her husband. My vote is seven, but maybe this film deserved a better rating. I did not expect such a different story.Title (Brazil): `Um Amor Quase Perfeito' (`A Love Almost Perfect')

There were many parts of this movie that I found moving, but, particularly towards the end it came across more like a daytime soap than a serious movie. The premise is that a woman who has been desperately hurt by finding out that her husband was bi-sexual can be won over easily to understanding of first his lover and also his friends and other life. That in itself is a bit hard to believe, but suspending disbelief, this is an entertaining, albeit somewhat puzzling movie.The viewer is deliberately manipulated (was I the only one who thought first of AIDS when she became ill?)it was even something of a letdown to find out that she was pregnant - very Days of our Lives! The mother/daughter relationship is manipulated a trifle too much - and why I wonder did she not tell her mother the truth? I also found the ending confusing - why tell everyone one thing and then do another? Can we assume that she had come to terms with herself - if so, it was a strange way to carry it out.All of this is a pity - for this is an interesting and gripping movie, which could have been a lot better. I recommend it be viewed as entertainment only without asking too many questions.