The Life and Work of Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci as Malèna

Born in Umbria in 1964, Monica Bellucci is one of the most recognizable faces of international cinema. But she didn't always have her sights set on the spotlight. She went to college to study law and modeled to pay her tuition. Her success in the fashion world coupled with the offers that were pouring in to appear on the big screen eventually took over, changing her fate.

Bellucci made her on-screen debut in the 1990 television movie, "Vita coi figli." Just two years later, she scored her first American role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula."

In addition to her native language, she speaks fluent English and French, which has made for a smooth transition from Italian to international cinema. Stateside, she has acted in blockbusters such as "The Matrix-Reloaded," "The Passion of the Christ" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." She has also appeared in several French films, and was married to French actor Vincent Cassel. She costarred with him in the 2003 avant-garde film, "Irréversible." Set in Paris, the film follows two men as they attempt to seek revenge for a brutal attack on a woman, Alex, portrayed by Bellucci. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the film when it was released due to the extreme violence in two scenes. Film Critic Roger Ebert declared it unwatchable because of those scenes.

The role that really called on Bellucci's acting skills and proved that she was more than just another model-turned-actress was Giuseppe Tornatore's 2000 film, "Malèna." She took on the title role of a beautiful widow in small town Sicily during World War II. Her character contends with the men of the village constantly chasing her while the women torment her out of jealousy.

In 2005, she starred in Bertrand Blier's French rom-com, "Combien tu m'aimes?" (How Much Do You Love Me?), the story of an office worker who wins the lottery and hires a beautiful prostitute (Bellucci) to live with him. The film also features Gerard Depardieu and Bernard Campan as the men smitten with her.

Bellucci had a small but pivotal role in Rebecca Miller’s 2009 “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.” Her character, Gigi, is an eccentric, wealthy art collector. When her husband announces that he has fallen in love with another woman, she invites them both to lunch and delivers a pretty big bang of a surprise. The film is a rom-com, coming-of-age story for a middle-aged coming to terms with a few skeletons in her closet. Although Bellucci doesn't have a lot of screen time, I always enjoy seeing Italian actors in English-speaking roles. Plus, the stellar ensemble cast that includes Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder and Maria Bello was a joy to watch.

In this clip that I recorded at the 2015 Rome Film Festival, Bellucci talks about her role in Guy Édoin's "Ville-Marie," which premiered there. Bellucci plays the role of an actress and mother who takes a role in Montreal in order to reconnect with her estranged son. The two end up witnessing a tragic automobile accident and become emotionally connected to the paramedic who showed up to the scene.

Also in 2015, at the age of 50, Bellucci played the role of an Italian seductress opposite Daniel Craig in "Spectre." As James Bond is forced to visit his past, scenes were shot amid the stunning backdrop of the Eternal City, making Bellucci feel right at home.

Although she loves her craft, these days she is content with skipping red carpet appearances to stay home with her family. She was recently quoted as saying, "I am at a stage in my life where, if I don't go out, I don't feel I'm missing something. I get bored surrounded by people smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol. And I'm not so interested now in going to premieres or being photographed on the red carpet. I want to be with my daughter."

Motherhood hasn't slowed Bellucci down professionally as she continues to work on both sides of the Atlantic. Her next project, the television mini-series "Radical Eye: The Life and Times of Tina Modotti" is currently in pre-production. The series is based on the Udine-born photographer and activist Tina Modotti who died at the age of 45. She was a member of the Mexican Communist Party and hung around with the likes of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Argentinian poet Pablo Neruda.

Due to her international appeal, many of Bellucci's films are available in the United States. Click on the titles below to stream the aforementioned films on Amazon, including a special interview with her, simply titled, "A Conversation with Monica Bellucci" in which she talks about her influences and versatility in working outside of Italy.

Comments

Anna Foglietta: Actress and Activist with Old School Elegance

One look at actress Anna Foglietta in her any of her roles, and the Golden Age of Italian cinema comes to mind. Among Italy’s most sought-after actresses today, Foglietta brings to the table a classic eloquence of yesterday while representing Italy’s modern woman. Born in Rome in 1979, Foglietta began her career in 2005 with a role in the RAI television series La squadra . Her character Agent Anna De Luca had a two-year run on the series as she was transitioning to cinema with Paolo Virzì’s 2006 ensemble project 4-4-2- Il gioco più bello del mondo . Since then, she has become one of Italy’s most diverse actresses, transforming herself into interesting, layered characters for comedies and dramas alike. Aside from a small part in Anton Corbijn’s 2010 film The American starring George Clooney, Foglietta’s work began reaching mainstream American audiences in 2015. As Elisa in Edoardo Leo’s 2015 comedy Noi e la Giulia , Foglietta showed her funny side playing a goofball pregn...

Review: Emma Dante's 'The Macaluso Sisters'

In a moving story that spans several decades, “The Macaluso Sisters” follows five orphaned sisters born and raised in an apartment on Palermo’s outskirts. They support themselves by renting out pigeons for events, a unique and symbolic business that reflects their resourcefulness and the transient nature of their lives. Directed by Emma Dante, who adapted the script from her 2014 play of the same name, the film boasts an all-female cast that brings a unique power to the story. It unfolds in three chapters that show how the tragic events of one day haunt the sisters through childhood, adulthood and old age. The first chapter reveals the tragedy of the youngest sister, Antonella, who dies during a beach outing. She remains a permanent presence in the household, never aging. The film returns again and again to the beauty of the day at the beach when tragedy struck. The apartment is a central character, housing the memories and rage each sister carries inside her. This exploration of...

Isabella Rossellini Pays Tribute to David Lynch

Three iconic women of Italian cinema took part in the Governors Awards on October 28 in Los Angeles. Sophia Loren gave a heartfelt tribute to her longtime friend and collaborator, director Lina Wertmuller, who received an honorary Oscar for her tremendous body of work that includes classic films like Seven Loves, Swept Away and Il Professore. Isabella shared the stage and translated Wertmüller's acceptance speech. Rossellini gave her own tribute that evening to American director David Lynch. She told the story of how the two met at a dinner when Lynch brought up the script that he was working on. Helen Mirren had turned down the lead role, and he was wondering if perhaps Rossellini would be interested in checking out his script. Well she did and the rest is history. That 1986 film, Blue Velvet , instantly became a contemporary classic and has remained a masterpiece of American cinema. The thriller co-stars Kyle MacLachlan and Dennis Hopper. Set in a small North Carolina town,...

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

Director Gianni Di Gregorio explores relationships in later life with 'Never Too Late for Love'

In “Astolfo” (“Never Too Late for Love”), director Gianni Di Gregorio delivers a coming-of-age film for the golden years of life about a retired professor who leaves Rome to return to a tiny mountain village in Abruzzo. The film opens with the title character, played by Di Gregorio, walking through the streets of his Roman neighborhood, groceries in hand, only to find his landlord waiting for him when he arrives home. She is there to announce that he will have to vacate his humble residence to make way for her daughter, who is getting married soon. After some contemplation, he calls his ex-wife to ask her about an old family castle he split with her in their divorce. When she confirms that a portion of the castle is his for the taking, he gleefully returns to his spacious new home only to discover it has been occupied by a squatter, who turns out to be an acquaintance from his childhood who is also down on his luck. Without hesitation, Astolfo adopts the man as his roommate. ...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog