Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Harry T. Yung The unimaginative local title given to this movie is however quite descriptive, even if only factually: "The dictator's lover". The original title, meaning "Win", derived from an Italian Fascist song, may suggest a variety of main texts and subtexts on political, social, religious, personal and other subject matters surrounding that period of history in that part of the world. The movie however is an intimate account of all of these things seen from the eyes of one woman, Ida Dalser, purportedly Mussolini's first wife, whose quest of her entire life was to obtain legitimacy for the son she bore for the dictator. For that she suffered unspeakable agony, mainly in being thrown from one mad asylum to another, in a cruel but unsuccessful attempt to silence her claim.Portraying Ida Dalser with unflinching conviction is Italy's superstar Giovanna Mezzogiorno. If you have seen her in "Facing windows" (2003) or "Love in the time of cholera" (2007) you will know what high expectations one may have for her (there are of course many other movies but these two happen to be the ones I have been privileged to enjoy). Every expectation is met in this movie which is essentially her show, although Filippo Timi also shines in the few scenes where he portrays both Mussolini and their son (especially the latter).There is no denying that this two-hour movie is a gloomy affair, particularly the second half. Yet the audience's interest is clearly held, and not only by the superb acting. The general audience whose cinematic experienced usually does not venture beyond Hollywood fodder, if he happens to wander into "Vincere", should find refreshing the storytelling that lets the camera do most of the talking. For example, in one scene towards the end, Ida Dalser finally gets a letter smuggled in from her son from whom she has been separated for years. She is in her prison cell of a hospital room with a nun serving as nurse. The camera takes a close up of her with silent flowing tears. Then it moves to the nun's sympathetic face, as she slowly removes her veil, exposing her short hair. Immediately cut to the next shot, the scene shows Dalser walking out of her "prison" in a nun's attire. This is the sort of style that is offer in proliferation throughout the movie.

lasttimeisaw The film is about Mussolini's secret lover Ida Dalser's tragic story. I know it is an important Italian film last year, but for me, before watching it, I even haven't seen a picture of Mussolini (fortunately enough at least I know who he is), and now, I think he looks a little bit like Robert Duvall (hope it is not an offense, to Signor Duvall). The well-recognized director Marco Bellocchio just passed 70, and as a disciple of Pasolini, through half a century, his films mainly are somewhat political-related, which explains very much why I haven't watched his other films yet. But after this one, I am more than happily to appreciate his other works, to name a few FISTS IN THE POCKET (PUGNI IN TASCA) (1965) his debut, HENRY IV (1984).It's a dark film, not only because of its palette (mainly depressive blue and purple, with scenes mostly happen in the night and later, inside a mental hospital), but also infused by the fate of our protagonist Ida Dalser (a marvelous Giovanna Mezzogiorno, whom I often mistake as Sarah McLanchlan). The reason why people (at least myself) love to watch tragic or dramatic films is because generally speaking, our own lives are not so turbulent, we need to see something to exercise or release our emotions, to make them move a little bit in case they will become numb. And I believe that dramatic films are much easier to make as often, the story itself has already been tantalizing enough so what the worst could it be? We have already prepared the tissue paper before the screen is lightening. I have to admit this film handled the sensitive topic skillfully, which proves that while aging, Marco is improving his skills too (which is so rare as we all know, 70s is definitely not a golden-era for directors), most obviously by substituting Filippo Timi's performance with black-white footages of real Mussolini in the latter part of the film, make sure the focus is Ida herself, as a man becomes the leader of a nation, he no longer belongs to any single person, at the same time any single person becomes trivial to him as well. I think Ida couldn't get through this, her love is blind, hormone-driven, but we feel sympathy for her because this is what we believe true love should be.It is a pity I'm not an Italian or I could have known more about Mussolini, otherwise I could enjoy more (or maybe not!). Anyway I am happy to see the surviving Italian directors from golden age still strive for making excellent films at a time when even Nanni Moretti has become legendary.http://xingshizuomeng.blogspot.com/

Metal Angel Ehrler I just love allegories. I love the way so much imagination is poured into the re-telling of a story via new material. We all know our history, so we know about Benito Mussolini, Il Duce, and his reign of Fascism over Italy. But we don't know about the adulterous relationship he had with a certain Ida Dalser, who gave birth to his child and who Mussolini, in his unforgivable cold-bloodedness, calmly strived to strip apart. That's what Marco Bellocchio's new film, "Vincere", is all about: it's a historical drama about the woman Mussolini tried so hard to ruin after economically and sexually using her...and it's also a sublime allegory of how he used all of Italy.Critics worldwide have seen the genius behind portraying Mussolini's reign of terror as a headstrong but powerless woman. Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) instantly falls under the spell of a young, handsome Mussolini (Filippo Timi). Italy is only beginning to experience the first waves of Socialism, and among those first to rebel against the government is this young man who has a certain power with words; in a scene where he runs away from the police for being involved in a riot, he shields himself behind the curious Ida who stepped out for a look, and passionately kisses her. I mean, Benito is a good kisser, or so he seems to be, because Ida melts in utter passion in his arms while he kisses her and he...well, he's a really good actor too, for he can focus his strength on this steamy kiss at the same time that his full concentration and awareness are scrutinizing the area to see if the police are gone. Sure enough, once they're gone he pushes Ida away and runs without so much as a half-hearted smile...but the kiss was enough for Ida to fall mercilessly in love with him.In a matter of days, she's stalking him, getting into his fights and showing him glimpses of her crotch which get our all-too human Benito hot for her. The first twenty-something minutes of the film our two main characters spend passionately and intensely going at it. Well, Ida does the passionate part and Mussolini, as I've said before, is a really good actor; while Ida spends her every second in a sexual Nirvana, he is all steam but his stare is distant, serious, no doubt thinking about anything else but the woman coming in his arms. Ida's obsession with the dude takes her as far as selling almost all of her things and giving him all the money so he can establish his own Socialist newspaper. Notice the incredibly sarcastic scene where Ida finally asks Benito to tell her 'I love you.' Mussolini, who at this point of the film hasn't gotten over his hate for Germans, plainly answers 'Ich liebe dich.' But this is an allegory, so here's where the plot thickens. Mussolini just happens to be married, Ida finds out, but he can't move himself to even let her go properly because he's becoming really powerful so he doesn't need her anymore. Ida gives birth to his child, but he couldn't care less. Ida's obsession is so deep, though, that she really starts pestering Benito every living moment she has...and by the time Benito is a 9-year old boy, Ida spills the cup and our villainous dictator sends her to an insane asylum and gives the custody of her son to one of his right-hand men. From here on, it's chaos...both in Italy and on our tragic heroine's life. Just as a side note, the film claims to be based on true events; obviously, the rise of Fascism in Italy IS a true event, but I can't vouch for the verisimilitude of Mussolini's secret lover. I'm ready to believe it, though, because he was such a horrid man that he must've done to thousands of women the very same thing he did to Ida. And not only women: I mean, didn't he screw up millions of people's lives by using them? The film brings the suffering of an entire war-torn country into a very intelligent perspective by allegorizing it into the character of Ida Dalser, and that's more than can be said by any recent historical drama.Sounds good, doesn't it? The acting is pitch-perfect, especially Mezzogiorno who redeems herself for her atrocious main performance in Mike Newell's "Love in the Time of Cholera" and manages to give us a heart-breaking, poignant, sublime and VERY powerful performance (I wonder why she didn't get an Oscar nod? Academy voters must've definitely been high). We see a woman who has no chance of survival, who'll never see her son again, whose life has been ruined by Italy's most powerful man, but her strength and courage stand true to the very last. The screenplay is VERY good, actually; Carlo Crivelli's score is one of the best scores I've heard in a long time (which sounds like a perfect cross between Philip Glass and Dario Marianelli) and Marco Dentici's cinematography couldn't possibly be better. Also, the film never lags, and it touches on so many levels of human suffering and cruelty, that you can't help but me moved to deeper thought. What more can you ask of a film? See it. Italy has outdone itself this year with such an excellent film. No one in their right minds could possibly be disappointed. Rating: 4 stars out of 4!!

alicecbr If the film-writer wanted to emphasize WHY the young Mussolini hated the church, he did a great job. The church's role in backing the power-mad dictator is demonstrated again and again. The movie shows his wife as clear-minded, yet her actions even after the priest has cautioned her on how to 'act' and appear to submit, indicate a crazed woman who can't believe that her actions are hopeless in the light of the corrupt country that Italy has become. there are many parallels to the United States here, as our country becomes increasingly an oligarchy, ruled by corporations with few in Congress not bought by their bribes.Makes you wonder if speaking out does any good in such a hypocritical, ignorant time in which the T-Partiers, not realizing they embody the rants of Mussolini, speak to the low-esteem, the animalistic urges of the masses. This was a fantastic movie and I was amazed that there were so few in the audience, though not amazed that it appeared at our art movie houses here in Boston (the West Newton's adjunct, the Arlington's Capitol).