Ginostra (2002) User Reviews (17)

Have Vacation With Your Family In Mafia Territory While Performing an Investigation of a Crime Committed by a Mobster Boss - Long, Boring, Confused Screenplay Without Credibility and Beautiful Landscapes

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 14 June 2004]

In Italy, in the Sicilian island of Ginostra, Matt Benson (Harvey Keitel) is a FBI agent assigned for the protection and investigation of Ettore Greco (Mattia de Martino), the son of Stefano Greco, a cooker of the Mafia executed with his family by one of the local boss. The boy witnessed the crime and Matt wants also to find out who has double-crossed him in the protection of the boy's father. This long story is very boring, having a confused screenplay without credibility. Who could imagine an experienced American agent, who does not speak Italian, bringing his family for a period of vacation in Mafia territory while performing an important investigation of a crime committed by one of the mobster boss? The great cast and the beautiful `sightseeing' of wonderful landscapes in the Italian islands and the gorgeous eyes and lips of Francesca Neri exhaustively showed by the director Manuel Pradal is not enough to make this movie attractive. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): ` O Vulcão Ginostra' (` The Volcano Ginostra')

A Huge Mess

[tarbosh22000 · 4/10 · 14 May 2010]

"Ginostra" is a huge mess.

The Plot: FBI Agent Matt Benson (Keitel) travels to Italy to help a young boy from the mobsters that killed his family run by Del Piero (Stanton). There's also weird nuns (One of them played by Argento) involved with a volcano.....

From the opening scene the movie has already overstayed it's welcome. The movie is just abrupt and edited terribly. Scenes just start\end with no rhythm. Andie MacDowell has nothing to do, and Argento even less, even with the 2-hour plus running time. The best scene in the movie is the confrontation between Keitel and Stanton. The oddest part of the movie is: (Get ready...) One of the mobsters puts a bomb in a sheep and it blows up. I'm not kidding.

No wonder this movie has been on the shelf for over 5 years. It deserved it. Maybe it should've stayed there longer after some editing.

It's only worth sitting though if you're a Keitel completist. Anybody else stay away. Don't be fooled by the quality cast.

For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Slow-witted, slow-paced slow-called thriller

[huggybear-2 · 4/10 · 1 February 2003]

Dramas over two hours in length generally fall into two camps - they either have an epic story to tell, full of deep characterisations, complex plots and stunning backdrops, or they stink. Ginostra falls with aplomb into the latter category.

Never has so little happened of such little note in such a long time. If this were not bad enough, never have actors of the calibre of Harvey Keitel and Andie MacDowell delivered such clunky dialogue with such haste and apparent lack of skillful direction or editing.

The likes of Osment and Radcliffe have little to worry about from Mattia De Martino, who plays the son of a chef to the mob who is his immediate family's sole survivor following a car bombing. Keitel is the FBI agent on the case and he and his wife MacDowell base themselves near the island of Ginostra, the site of the bombing, while he tries to pump the child for information.

There is some innuendo between Keitel and Francesca Neri, who plays the wife of the local officer chasing the mob, who in turn appears to fancy MacDowell. Nothing actually materialises, which is the film's major problem - it's quite miserable and very dull. Misery is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but with nothing else to grab hold of, it's all a bit much.

Its that old story of Evil nuns, Erupting Volcanoes and Mafia hit men hiding from the FBI

[s-oconnell · 1/10 · 14 June 2004]

I saw this movie at the Toronto Filmfest and had such high hopes... soon to be dashed. The plot is both confused and boring, leaving the audience incapable of identifying with the characters. The backdrop of an erupting volcano tries to give the film tension but merely confuses the storyline. Harvey Keitel manages to make some of the movie at least watchable but this movie rated high on the numb-bum-omiter... for a movie pegged at 135 mins it felt like 4 hours.

The whole audience was left in stunned silence at the end of the movie. When the Q and A started the director was asked "what were the evil nuns about? " he didn't seem to know what they were there for either... I'd like to think it was a nod to Monty Python ;-)

Sounded good on paper but disappointed in the theatre

[Proud_Canadian · 2/10 · 16 October 2002]

I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival. It sounded good on paper: Harvey Keitel plays a F.B.I. agent protecting the son of a murdered informant in Italy and Andie McDowell is his wife. I like Harvey Keitel but it felt like he was sleep walking through this film. There was no chemistry between him and Andie McDowell and she seemed more like window dressing than a solid female character. The film was slow and didn't lead to anywhere. You couldn't get into the characters and didn't care about them either way. Some of the Italian scenery was interesting but couldn't compensate for the weak script and poor editing.

The most talked about movie of the year ?

[cnolan-2 · 3/10 · 20 September 2002]

Will this be the most talked about movie on the year? Perhaps - as everyone will be trying to figure out what went wrong with the film!

I saw this movie @ it's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (2002) and I've got to say, it was the most talked about movie between my friends and I. We just had so many questions about what various pieces of the movie meant as we were all sure we had to be missing something. We concluded that no, we didn't miss anything - there just wasn't enough there to tie it all together.

The movie has a lot of beautiful shots of the Italian coast, and the island of Ginostra. I think the editors could have done a much better job of pulling everything together. Also, I just didn't feel any chemistry between Harry Kietel and Andie MacDowell who were playing husband and wife.

Incredibly bad

[rampete · 1/10 · 25 January 2004]

This is possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. A story would have been helpful and if the director knew what direction he wanted the movie to go that would also be a good thing. The acting was also poor at best.

My advice is: Don't bother. PT

Painful to watch. Nun the wiser

[philgeorge2001 · 3/10 · 21 September 2004]

I had pretty high hopes of this film, primarily due to it having a couple of decent actors. Unfortunately the whole thing doesn't work at all. The attempt at a plot is just terrible. Some of the editing is very bad, for example, Keitel standing on a elevated road, and a second later getting on a tram down at ground level with no explanation as to how he got down there (that part's probably on the cutting room floor.) I also think some of the problem is it tries to be an artistic film but doesn't have any interesting plots or story, except for the tiniest interesting part at the swimming pool. I ended up just laughing at the stupidity of the whole thing.

Gawd Awful Almighty

[mckissack · 1/10 · 23 August 2008]

I have used IMDb for years to look up movies. I have never been compelled to write about one. But I must warn anyone thinking about watching this movie. Please for God's sake, find another movie. I cannot begin to describe how boring this movie is. I rented it because the actors in it are normally first rate, well they were terrible and the directing was ridiculous. It's still on here at my house, it is near the end, and I could care less about how it ends. I just wasted 2 hours of my life, it feels like a day and a half, or a half a day depending on what scene I am watching. Shoot me now. The premise is that an FBI agent is protecting a young boy from the mafia family that his father worked for. The boys family was killed by the mafia and the FBI agent was semi-responsible because he was protecting the boys family before the father testified against the mafia. However, one of the FBI agents friends leaks the info to the mafia family, thus the family is killed but they missed the boy. This premise could have made for a riveting and action packed movie, it is neither, it is packed with meaningless dialog, scenes that are unnecessary and forgetful characters.

We Love This Movie So Much

[breindelw · 10/10 · 17 January 2021]

There are some really, really bad movies out there. The writing and directing is really bad but the movie is usually also depressing or disturbing and not fun. Ginostra is the exception. This movie is so bad. The actors aren't bad but you get the feeling that the director directed them in a way which makes them all seem way over-the-top melodramatic. But the best thing is the horrible writing and the plot. We watch this movie about once a year or once every couple of years so that it doesn't lose it's freshness and we laugh a lot. I don't want to reveal any spoilers because it's more enjoyable to find out just how bad the storyline and the dialogue is as you go. It's almost 2 and a half hours long but watch it when you have time to watch it in one sitting. Highly recommended to watch with other people who appreciate the filmmaking process. Even the editing is funny. PS. There are two versions out there; the last time we watched, it was a longer version which made a little more sense.

If I had known how bad this film was going to be, I would have cut out my eyes.

[edbird-1 · 1/10 · 3 January 2012]

This is the only film I have reviewed after a number of years on this website, but I feel it is important to warn you that this film may make you curse your parents for bringing you into this world. It is so bad, I find myself wondering if I will ever feel pleasure again. If I had to choose between watching this film again or spending an eternity in Hell, I would skip gleefully into Satan's arms. Even Harvey Keitel remaining relatively clothed was not enough to counter the terrible acting, nonsensical plot, and plodding direction. I had to stop watching about ten minutes from the end to retain the tiny amount of will I had left that was keeping me from plunging a dagger between my eyes.

Please do not make the mistake I made by viewing this abomination.

a lamb, a vulcano, lots of crazy nuns

[waterloo-5 · 1/10 · 31 December 2003]

Sounds like fun. Well it isn't. Location is great, actors are good (Keitel and Andie MacDowell) but there is no story, no plotline, nothing. Lets start shooting, who needs a story. Well, let me tell you, this movie was in very dire need of a story. Any story would have done, half a story would have given me a semi-enjoyable evening. I give you with 1/10 the first real dud of 2004. Should have gone to the party instead. 1-1-2004 02:45

Un-believable!

[cmmescalona · 1/10 · 16 June 2011]

Wow! It's just a minute ago I've turned off the TV after watching this film. I recommend you NOT to even dare to watch it. Have you ever seen Italian films? They're amongst the best films in the world. Italians are creative, sensitive, daring and they're never afraid to experiment.

Italians are intelligent and really good at design, filmmaking, beauty and history. This film is -BEWARE!!!!!!- NOT Italian. This is a piece of rubbish that is sorrowful and painful to watch. Whoever wrote the script and directed it should be put behind bars after throwing away millions upon millions just to make this. I'm ashamed that Studio Canal decided to back such a project. (If you really want to watch a bit of what Italian Masters do,go to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456041)

Good actors that are performing like doped mannequins (that's one of the reasons why theatre is for the skilled ones), a script that stumbles and gives up the whole story from the very beginning; unimaginable deviations of tone and pace... the list is one of the most complete I've ever witnessed in the history of filmmaking.

Maybe the only thing I'd praise is sfx and photography. Poor guy the one who did it, who will ever admire his craft if it's been put through a shredder? I'm -yes, I know- feeling dizzy and sorry for the folks who had anything to do with this "film". Poor Mattia, the kid who plays the role of Ettore... I guess this was debut and farewell.

If they were to pay me whatever they paid the actors and actresses in this film, I wouldn't show my face, and I'd rather erase all the credits just to save the souls of all the people who did a great job and, most surely, broke their backs to make this crap happening.

I guess there's nothing to say about the plot or script or any creative or artistic quality in the film. Please!!!! let Italians do what they are best at. Sorry again, I'm so upset to even think that I made it through the end. I stopped the film at least twenty times, stupidly thinking it could get better. Lost two hours of my life and 1/4 of my liver.

Quite Boring

[Richard_vmt · 2/10 · 20 March 2008]

A film using an active volcano as a backdrop for a drama is an original idea but it is about all that is good in this film. This is sure to be Andie McDowell's worst film and probably everyone else's in the cast. The story line is impossible to follow and not worthy of suspense anyway. The character of the boy, Ettore, is too heroic for a man let alone a boy. Since such heroes invariably prove irresistible to the ladies, I half expected a nymphomania-cal McDowell to take him on, overlooking his age. My depravity was bred out of boredom. There were all sorts of extra cast members whose roles and motives were difficult to establish. The nuns called to mind the witches of Macbeth, but the suggestion of occult, if intended, also led nowhere.

This is a film which has no real drama. The end is the only relief.

Disaster

[Chris Knipp · 5/10 · 10 August 2009]

There is little to add to the other comments about this lengthy bore with its handsome images of an erupting volcano and lovely villas, its bad continuity, lack of chemistry between MacDowell and Keitel, generally wooden or uncoordinated acting, meandering, incomprehensible plot with an illogical set up (FBI man takes wife and kid to a dangerous assignment) and its preposterously heroic 11-year-old boy (let's not be too hard on newcomer Mattia De Martino: he does his best to impersonate a tough, angry kid; his acting is more convincing than Keitel's). I do want to mention something that drew me to rent the DVD besides the combination of Keitel, Harry Dean, and Asia Argento, and the fact that Pradal's first (and previous) film, 'Marie baie des anges' (1997) is haunting and evocative and original and 'stunningly beautiful' (Stephen Holden, NYTimes). This is the fact that Tonino Benacquista worked on the screenplay. Benaquista has been a fantastic collaborator with Jacques Audiard on 'Sur mes lèvres' ('Read My Lips') and 'De battre mon coeur s'est arreté' ('The Beat My Heart Skipped'). Well, Benacquista's talents did not help here any more than anybody else's. His participation may have been limited. He is more permanently listed on Pradal's subsequent (2006) 'Un crime'('A Crime'), which has gotten higher marks, and I'm curious to see that. Apparently it has just come out in a US DVD (July 2009) so it will eventually be available for rental. I haven't given up, because 'Marie baie des anges' is an experience one can go back to again and again. If Pradal could make that, he ought to be able to make another good film.

Not one of Keitel's better films

[heuer12 · 11 August 2003]

Keitel and McDowell clearly are not comfortable with each other in this film. The dialogues are mechanical and the film is boring. Never have I heard McDowell speak her lines with such a strange accent, and her performance is never convincing in this film. But she's not the only one. Keitel's performance is far below par and so is Harry Dean Stanton's.

Very confusing

[HotToastyRag · 2/10 · 23 July 2019]

If you're looking for an indie, European drama with American actors in the lead, with a hint of violence and a mafia plotline, you'll probably love Ginostra. You probably also loved The Godfather series. I watched it for Andie MacDowell, and while parts of it were interesting, I didn't enjoy it as much as I might have had I adored The Godfather.

Harvey Keitel stars as an FBI investigator who has to travel to a remote Italian island to interview a young boy, Mattia De Martino, in a form of witness protection, about his father's death. His father was involved with a mafia war, and he's very reluctant to talk about it. He's so reluctant, there's very little dialogue in this movie. The entire film is confusing, told out of order and with enough artistic flair to distract the audience from the fact that they're not being fed coherent information. If you care enough, you'll probably going to have to watch this twice to figure out what's going on. If you don't care, you'll just chalk it up to a very weird flick and rent something else the next time around.