Since we’re sort of on the topic of movies, have you ever seen “Il Postino” (aka, The Postman)? The movie might be over 20 years old, but it’s a magical one, featuring a postman as the central character. Timeout’s synopsis is pretty spot on:
“When, in 1952, the exiled Chilean poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda (Noiret) takes up residence in a house on a quiet little island off the Neapolitan coast, the fan mail he receives is so copious that the postmaster hires Mario (Troisi), the none too bright son of a local fisherman, to deliver the celebrity’s mail. At first, Mario is simply star-struck by Neruda, who responds with understandable wariness to the postman’s gauche attempts at conversation; soon, however, he’s teaching Mario about metaphors, and when the postman falls for Beatrice (Cucinotta), a lovely but rather aloof barmaid, the poet agrees to try to help him win her with words. Inspired by an incident in Neruda’s life, the story’s engaging blend of easy humour and sunny romance takes hold from the start and never lets go. Much of its seductive charm derives from the excellence of the leads: Noiret does his gruff but malleable turn to perfection, while Troisi (who died soon after filming finished) exudes a simplicity of heart, mind and soul that never seems excessively sentimental. Mercifully, Radford avoids making the small peasant community too glamorously Arcadian. Old-fashioned it may be, but it knocks the spots off pap like Cinema Paradiso.”
And here’s the trailer, if you’d like to have a look:
So that’s our suggestion for your weekend entertainment! Do you have other mail-themed movies we should check out? Let us know in the comments!
29 comments so far
Love this movie! Got me into reading Pablo Neruda too.
Just as Ninja_Neko I started to read poetry by Neruda because this film was so wonderful. I even bought the movie soundtrack where, apart from the music, there are actors and musicians like Sting reading their favourite Neruda-poems.
Me and hubby saw this one years ago. We both liked it very much.
Massimo Troisi, our beloved Italian actor, died just 12 hours after shooting was over. So this was the last time he acted, that's why I love The Postman so much. Troisi was a shy charming person, we miss him so much.
I would like to remember to you the unforgettable Jacques Tati ("Monsier Hulot" - guess why I choose my nickname...) in "Jour de Fête":
Jour de fête ("The Big Day") is a 1949 French comedy film directed by Jacques Tati in his feature film directional debut. Jour de Fête tells the story of an inept and easily distracted French mailman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants, as well as inspect the traveling fair that has come to his small community. Influenced by too much wine and a newsreel account of rapid transportation methods used by the United States postal system, he goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of mail while aboard his bicycle.
Have a nice sunday!
Lovely movie , I read the book too, and visited in Chile the Neruda's houses, so beautiful
I love this film! It's just such a... well, nice film, for want of a better word!
@hulottati that sounds like a wonderful recommendation! i'll see if we can find it around here! :D
This film is lovelyl!!! And it's soundtrack is wonderful!!! I've this cd!
Jour de fète is really a great great movie!
I also love the movie; "depuis qu'Otar est parti" 2003. It is a movie directed by Julie Bertuccelli. Letters have an important role in the movie, not really a postman.
I advise everyone to the movie Premium Rush, is also very cool! :)
My favorite mail-themed movies are Message in a Bottle and The Postman with (perfect!!) Kevin Costner, You've Got Mail, Letters to Juliet and the best movie ever - Lake House.
Oh my! 'Cinema Paradiso' is on the list of my all-time favourite movies. Will have to track this one down and have a look. Thanks.
Il Postino / The Postman is not terribly available on amazon....and it's not offered to view on streaming with Prime....perhaps if we all requested it....???
Loved this film so much! I was really touched by it and the story about the lead actor that we decided to visit the island of Procida (where it was filmed) for our tenth wedding anniversary. Turned out to be the best wedding anniversary ever, and the island of Procida is now one of the most romantic locations in the world for me.
I just finished the book last week :) And going to watch the movie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SZ-ZWjdrO8
Khat Aaya Hai = Letter Has Come.
Award Winning Short Film!! Good day everyone.
"Oscar and the Lady in Pink" is a wonderful and a little bit sad film about a ill boy who meets up with a Lady in pink that suggestes him to send letters to god ♥
Missing Massimo Troisi so much! <3
Ordered the book through amazon and received it today. Hope to read it over the weekend and afterwards watch the movie. Thank you for the recommendation!
I would like to remember to you the following 2 mail-themed movies :
First: "Terry Pratchett's Going Postal" (trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKSfel7Bj_E)
It is based on the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett.
Everybody who loves Fantasy knows this author and his famous disk world.
For everybody else: This is a good promotion film for postal service full of fantastic elements and humor.
My favourite scene is the invention / discovery of stamps (not part of the trailer).
Second: "Mary & Max" (trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ3vlMO-Z-I)
It's an animated film about 2 penpals and life.
There are no fantastic elements, but there is humor and some strange scenes.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) -- this was the classic romantic comedy that You've Got Mail was based on. It's about two coworkers who hate each other, but are actually a pair of mystery penpals who had fallen in love. Mail plays an important part in the film because only through their letters (picked up at a special box in the post office!) do the characters speak from the heart and be themselves; when they're in front of each other, it's all bluster and petty bickering! Things take a turn when one of them discovers the truth...
Letters to Juliet is a lovely movie.
Love this movie
One of my favorite movies <3
I loved watching The Lunchbox
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/?ref_=nv_sr_1
I love romantic movie like this one...
Accidental, this week my country Indonesia have new movie about postman, the Kartini , women hero have relationship with postman ....
Love this movie. Love Neruda. Hate that Pinochet had him killed.
Wonderfull blog!!
I recently enjoyed this Russian movie:
The Postman's White Nights (Russian: Белые ночи почтальона Алексея Тряпицына; Belye nochi pochtalona Alekseya Tryapitsyna) is a 2014 Russian drama film directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. It tells the story of the people of a remote Russian village, whose main contact with the outside world is a postman. All actors in the film are non-professionals and casting took a year.
Mail is also delivered by boat. The land- and lakescapes are stunning beautiful.
Any (Russian) postcrosser from there among us. Or has anyone ever visited the National Park in the northwest??
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