Ennio: The Maestro (2021)

AKA: The Glance of Music

A comprehensive look into the life, legacy and extensive career of Italian film composer Ennio Morricone. Known for so much more than the "wah wah" sound of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, his rich orchestral soundscape spanned the course of 500 compositions in 75 years, which is an incredible metric by any standard. Featuring in-depth interviews from contemporaries, the biggest treasure trove here is a newly filmed conversation with the maestro himself, completed shortly before his death in 2020. It's an exhaustive deep dive that revisits his career, decade by decade, landing on all the greatest hits. As the ultimate retrospective, it's impossible to cover the entire breadth of his work, but this is a good start. None is more deserving of such a celebrated tribute.

4 cinematic vistas out of 5

Malèna (2000)

Malèna is a remarkable film that you may never experience as the director intended because the censors removed fifteen mins from it.
It's the story of an adolescent male's ascent into manhood. Men lust for Malèna and women hate her. She becomes young Renato's obsession and he becomes her protector. His sexual awakening fantasies are played out onscreen, which is what got the censors worried. It's handled in a sympathetic and comical way but still treads dodgy moral ground.
Some essential character work that emphasises Malèna's struggle was also cut. For that reason alone either view it as intended or not at all. The only place it passed uncut (109 mins) was Italy, so you'll need to import.
Leaving aside the controversy for a second, the socio-political setting, musical score (Morricone), structure, pacing, storytelling and especially the beautiful golden lighting of the cinematography are all superb.

4½ cans of oil out of 5