Lamerica

One of the most critically acclaimed foreign films in recent years, Lamerica is set in the once-isolated Albania, where, in 1991, the Communist dictatorship fell, revealing to the world a country devastated by poverty and in anarchic turmoil. Fiore and Gino, two, shall we say, enterprising Italians, mean to turn a profit from the chaos. They install Spiro, a senile old wretch and political prisoner as the figurehead president of their proposed dummy corporation (from which they hope to reap Italian government grants). When he slips away, the arrogant Gino sets off to find him, but in the process is stripped of his own identity and becomes indistinguishable from the other refugees trying to escape to Italy. Filmed in a neo-realistic style, with a cast comprised almost entirely of nonprofessionals (Spiro is portrayed by an 80-year-old retired fisherman!), this is a haunting, richly rewarding film. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review--June 1, 2004--New Yorker, 116 min., in Italian w/English subtitles, not rated, $34.95--Making its debut on DVD, Gianni Amelio's 1994 Lamerica features a solid transfer and a few extras: two deleted scenes (running approximately six minutes), an alternate ending, and photo and poster galleries. Bottom line: at $34.95, this is a little pricey for a single-disc title with so few extras; still, this is a must-purchase for any serious foreign film collection.]