Dont Tell (2005)

"...swiftly paced and never dull...  Ken Fox, TV Guide
"A persuasive if not groundbreaking drama.  Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
"Powerfully moving...terrific performances...  Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter

Editor's Note An Italian melodrama starring Giovanna Mezzogiorno (LA FINESTRA DI FRONTE) and Alessio Boni (LA MEGLIO GIOVENTU), DON'T TELL is based on the director's own novel of the same name. Mezzogiorno plays Sabina, a voiceover artist living happily with her actor boyfriend, Franco (Boni). Sabina begins suffering from nightmares that bring back unwelcome memories from her childhood, and almost simultaneously discovers she's pregnant. The secrets from her past introduce a widening chasm between her and Franco, and Sabina travels to the U.S. to visit her brother, Daniele (Luigi Lo Cascio), hoping to put her ghosts to rest.

	Alessio Boni
	Giovanna Mezzogiorno
	Giuseppe Battiston
	Stefania Rocca
	Cecilia Zanuso - Editor
	Cristina Comencini - Director
	Cristina Comencini - Based On Novel By
	Fabio Cianchetti - Cinematographer
	Fabio Conversi - Producer
	Giulia Calenda, et. al. - Screenplay
	Marco Chimenz - Producer

Reel.com 7 of 10
Here's the problem with Cristina Comencini's Don't Tell: it should have been directed by Pedro Almodovar.

Had Almodovar crafted this tale of a woman facing past childhood sexual abuse, the picture's conspicuous melodrama would bear considerably richer fruit. Clever Almodovar, who blends tragedy, comedy, absurdity and the all-too-human serendipity of life with expert aplomb, would understand the dimension and heart of a woman...The film does benefit from its actors who are all extraordinary and, more importantly, likable. - Kim Morgan

San Francisco Chronicle 9 of 10
"Don't Tell" often has the eerie feel of a Hitchcock film -- "Vertigo" in particular -- where you're not always sure if what you're seeing is really happening. Recurrent shots of a living room with the curtains drawn make sense only in retrospect...At times, "Don't Tell" tends toward the melodramatic, emphasized by Franco Piersanti's over-the-top score. The film is pulled back from the brink by Mezzogiorno's subtle performance and by a story that has the recognizable ring of truth. - Ruthe Stein