The Magic of Marciano

This story of a mentally ill mother and her steadfast son is realistic, touching and unsentimental. Rather than the melodramatic circumlocations that this theme tends to engender, this is a rock-solid, realistic representation of what probably would or could happen in the real world. It even has an upbeat ending which is not the full blown Hollywood fantasy, but the best that life can offer when it's functioning well. Miss Kinski is terrific in it, Robert Forster is a gem of a warm and intelligent actor and Cody, who plays James, is a wonder. If what you want to see is an excellent film, with a real story, artistically done, with some fantasy scenes to flesh out some inner feelings, and held together with superb acting...then this is for you. If you prefer Hollywood glamour, sentimental soporific themes and ridiculous action, find any readily available commercial film instead.