By Tony Frame. Contains some spoilers.

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Il Postino is one of those movies that feels like a holiday away from the hustle and bustle of our regular lives to witness an endearing story that is whimsical and sings to the soul. Massimo Troisi plays the newly appointed postman in a small Italian village who has to deliver mail to a famous exiled Chilean poet (Philippe Noiret) whose writings are adored by women all over the world.

Images courtesy of IMDB

Over the course of delivering the mail, Noiret becomes a tutor of sorts to Troisi, giving him lessons on language and how to express himself through it. This gives the shy and introverted postman a new-found confidence which leads him to pursue a beautiful girl in the village with whom he has fallen madly in love with.

What blossoms over the course of the movie is a touching friendship (with the two leads) who share a love of poetry, politics and an affinity for trying to understand women. There’s a nice blend of humour throughout, with some poignant moments, and it left me with the same feeling that I felt after watching Cinema Paradiso. And rather than me trying to explain what I felt, it seems more fitting to leave with a quote from Noiret’s character which encapsulates the heart and soul of Il Postino: ‘When you explain poetry, it becomes banal. Better than any explanation is the experience of feelings that poetry can reveal to a nature open enough to understand it.’

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Directors: Michael Radford, Massimo Troisi (uncredited)

Writers: Antonio Skármeta (novel), Furio Scarpelli (story) | 6 more credits »

Stars: Massimo Troisi, Philippe Noiret, Maria Grazia Cucinotta | See full cast & crew »