I'M NOT SCARED, despite the thriller-ish premise, is a film that's all about friendship: a growing bond that develops between an Italian boy and the kidnapped child he finds being held to ransom in a filthy pit. In many ways, it's similar to the later WW2 film THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, and viewing the two films side-by-side it's clear that the director of the latter production clearly mined this movie for inspiration.
Despite the praise lavished upon it, I found I'M NOT SCARED to be overblown and over-hyped, much like THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS. The central story of the friendship between the two boys is pretty dull, and given the nature of the premise not nearly enough is made of the repercussions. What incident does arise is muted and perfunctory, and I found it hard to like or care about any of the characters. The adults are all hateful, and the kids are sullen and rude. Even the kidnapped boy, with whom the viewer should easily empathise, seems slow-witted and unaware of his situation, which makes it hard for the viewer to sympathise with his plight.
The director certainly gets his mileage out of beautifully-framed shots of characters wandering through corn fields in the glorious summer sun, but overall there's little going on and virtually no meat on the bones of this atmospheric but lacking in substance movie. It's certainly not a film to remember.
Despite the praise lavished upon it, I found I'M NOT SCARED to be overblown and over-hyped, much like THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS. The central story of the friendship between the two boys is pretty dull, and given the nature of the premise not nearly enough is made of the repercussions. What incident does arise is muted and perfunctory, and I found it hard to like or care about any of the characters. The adults are all hateful, and the kids are sullen and rude. Even the kidnapped boy, with whom the viewer should easily empathise, seems slow-witted and unaware of his situation, which makes it hard for the viewer to sympathise with his plight.
The director certainly gets his mileage out of beautifully-framed shots of characters wandering through corn fields in the glorious summer sun, but overall there's little going on and virtually no meat on the bones of this atmospheric but lacking in substance movie. It's certainly not a film to remember.