X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Mario's War

A rebellious little boy has been taken away from his abusive mother and placed in the temporary care of a young couple. And while Mario is a singular child, commendably portrayed by the pugilistic Marco Grieco, what turns Antonio Capuano's Mario's War into a fine film is not just this penetrating performance but the sensitive depiction of the new world that envelops this young boy. This film gets to the heart of the restless struggle between an adult and a child who have to adapt to each other without the bond of a biological relationship. Giulia is a special woman who gratefully and bravely embraces her new foster son. As played by the wonderful Valeria Golino (recently seen in Respiro), we recognize her unbending strength and commitment to meeting this huge challenge. Not only does she have to grapple with every obstacle Mario throws at her, but she has to cope with the doubts and hesitation of Sandro (Andrea Renzi), the man she lives with and loves... Hovering uneasily over the film is the issue of making a defiant kid fit into a system that may not suit him. Giulia and Mario are allies in a war to make sure that his individuality survives intact, but they are also occasional antagonists. Capuano's skill at balancing these competing forces is exemplary, turning Mario's War into a complex portrait of a woman and her chosen son.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Valeria Golino
Giulia
Marco Grieco
Mario
Andrea Renzi
Sandro

Awards

  • 2007 - Silver Ribbon - Best Actress (Migliore Attrice Protagonista) - nominated
  • 2007 - Silver Ribbon - Best Screenplay (Migliore Sceneggiatura) - nominated
  • 2007 - Silver Ribbon - Best Editing (Miglior Montaggio) - nominated
  • 2007 - Silver Ribbon - Best Producer (Migliore Produttore) - nominated

You May Also Like See All

Three Colors: Red
Rear Window
Compensation
Fanny and Alexander

Popular Movies See all movies

That Thing You Do!

1 hr 48 mins
A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager.
71   Metascore
1996 Comedy, Drama, Music

Blue Film

1 hr 22 mins
Fetish camboy Aaron Eagle agrees to spend the night with an anonymous client, only to discover a disturbing tie to his past.
2025 Drama

Elemental

1 hr 41 mins
Set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together, Elemental introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in.
58   Metascore
2023 Animation, Action & Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Drama

Tombstone

2 hr 10 mins
In 1879, Wyatt Earp and his family arrive in the violent town of Tombstone with the intention of running a bar. But Earp is elected sheriff of the place and will have to face the Clantons, a gang that intends to dominate the town.
50   Metascore
1993 Documentary, Drama, Action & Adventure

The Kitchen

1 hr 42 mins
The wives of New York gangsters in Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s continue to operate their husbands' rackets after they're locked up in prison.
35   Metascore
2019 Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama

Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story

1 hr 25 mins
While he's out fishing with his Mennonite friend Jeremiah Peters on the morning of 2 June, Amish Eli Weaver receives a message via a call to Jeremiah's cell phone that Eli's wife, 29-year-old Barbara Weaver, has been found shot dead in their bed. While the Amish elders want to deal with the issue solely within their community, the Wayne County Sheriff's Department is forced to investigate in the murder having taken place in their jurisdiction, the two investigators being Detectives Bruce London and Mike Maxwell. What is subsequently shown is the current investigation interspersed with flashbacks of Eli and Barbara's life, which Eli admits to the investigators was not always perfect. Those flashbacks show that prior to their marriage, Barbara wanted to marry for romantic love, which is not the Amish way. Eli seemingly wanted the same; he was the black sheep of his family in not always adhering to Amish strictures. London and Maxwell have their theories of who the murderer is; they suspect Eli, who isn't reacting like a typical grieving husband and father, but they know they'll have problems finding evidence because the Amish Eli will have no digital footprint; and the community's sole telephone is a public one for emergencies, usable by anyone. They hope that the unofficial traditional Amish communication network, rampant gossip, will provide some clues. They find that some talk emerges in the form of a collection of women not in the community who were a part of Eli's secret life as the Amish Stud.
2023 Documentary, Suspense, Drama