Perfect cast and a good story

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

A young carabiniere is asked to transport two young children from the north of Italy to the south--the opposite of the usual migration of souls in that land. The reason is that the eleven-year-old girl and her brother are left without parents and kicked out of their "institution" because the girl was sold as a prostitute by her mother for two years. The man who goes with them is the usual lonely adult stuck on a road trip with children he doesn't understand, but this is no "Are We There Yet?" because the children are deeply damaged and searching for family, and the man has to deal with his own nomadism.The road is, in fact, hardly ever far from view/sound. It intercuts through the frame, the story, and even the sound. While the three characters travel, the instability of modern (or post-modern) Italy is shown in some pretty stunning displays of blocking by the director. Meanwhile, society, capitalism, and Catholicism are deeply criticized, and the characters' attempts to build and found a family are met with equal resistance from institution and law, and the pure prejudice of others. The title'd have you believe that the carabiniere stole the children, but the children were stolen from their childhood long before the movie starts. All that's left for them is each other, and the task of this drama is to get them to realize that at the sacrifice of a young man who was ill-prepared to handle them but ends up giving them a great gift of kindness.--PolarisDiB

This marvelous film deals with a topic, exploitation of children (euphimism), that is difficult on viewers. All over the world bad things are happening to young people who can not control their own lives because they are children. The innocents tainted in this world will become saints and dwell in Heaven with Our Father. No, this film isn't about religion per se. But it is about the struggle and the triumph of humans over their sometimes miserable, but always radiant, terrible difficulties. The adult who has to deal with the two abandoned children is marvelously played and his growth as a human being in the sense of doing the right thing, rather than just "following orders" is a great performance. The leading character is an 11-12 year old girl who I understand was not an actress before performing in this film. I could open a floodgate of positive adjectives and remarks about her performance, but let's just say that she play her role so authentically and underplays, which is necessary, the plight of her character, where the underplaying is simply the character being herself in a world she endures,and must accept, but is one no one would choose. I hope that viewers will remember (and if they don't, watch the movie again) the final scene where she tries to give her brother hope and show the viewer that even the worst world can be inhabited and experienced with at least some joy--sometimes only a tiny measure of happiness is all we can get in our lives, but still we must savor it.Many people complain that so and so movie is not on DVD etc., but this film was released on VHS for a short time in the early 90's and only a few copies are on the market at a fairly high price--the film should be transferred to DVD by Criterion or someone (I wish I knew how). Buy the VHS and watch a movie that points the way, as almost no movie really does, to the real, complex, harmful, and sometimes wonderful world that exists beyond the movie.

I saw this movie almost ten years ago, and once or twice since then on TV, and I have never forgotten it. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting, sensitively directed and beautifully performed. The relationship between the young carabiniere and the two children he's escorting evolves so quietly and naturally that it never seems forced, as relationships so often seem in movies. I hesitate to cite specific scenes for fear of spoilage, but there is one moment in particular, when Antonio and young Luciano are swimming in the ocean, that perfectly illustrates the growing trust between them. The scene is quite simply breathtaking.I wish this movie were available on DVD, because it deserves to be seen by more people. I would add it to my collection in a heartbeat if I could. Instead, I can only hope that some local theater or art museum will screen it someday as part of a film festival.A truly unforgettable movie.

Amelio and Enrico lo Verso compenetrate perfectly. I believe is one of the most humanistic movies I have seen in a long time. The performance of the actors is great and the story is simple but very powerful. There is beautiful line that can be seen how the Enrico and the kids gel along the, movie and it is very interesting.As another person said and I agree, it is one of the best child performances I have ever seen. Excellent.