Runaway (2003) User Reviews

It could have been good, but it is so cheesy...

[guisreis · 6/10 · 20 July 2022]

Making a movie about the biased anti-left action of the police and the courts during the stormy 70's in Italy is very nice, and the general story is interesting. However, unfortunately, this movie is unbelievably cheesy. There are so many bad aesthetic choices by the editors (particularly in the very beginning, but not only then)! Script has some good dialogues, but everything happens too much in a hurry, not developing properly either the events or the characters. Then, despite dramatic life story and serious political background, it is hard to get engaged or moved by the film (ok, in the end you do, but not throughout the movie). When the story moves to "Mexico", everything worsens a lot: a lot of obviously non-Mexican actors and bizarre chroma key (why to pretend to shoot in Mexico City without going there?!). Fortunately, that very B-movie part is a short one.

Badly written, and, even worse directed: a truly missed opportunity

[Alexander-Ross · 1/10 · 4 October 2013]

This was truly a real bore, and, a disappointment from beginning to end! While it could have had incredible elements, and dramatic structural premises, if they had been developed with a way more heartfelt insight, and, a way more personal style, or just even a mere standard professional job from the directors and writers, that just kept on slowly destroy any of the brilliant social, and historical revelations, this puzzling story had to -supposedly- slowly reveal, instead, during in its uncanny journey! But, this unfortunate movie, and, its out of luck filmmakers just opted out from the get go, to abruptly pursue a very cheap, amateur alike narrative, switching way too frantically from one chapter to the next, with only one achievement, ironically, creating a dreadful pace, while badly serving an utterly confusing little plot, they ended up to truly destroy, along with also all the main cast performances, as well (Daniele Liotti, as the protagonist, seems involved, and, he's handsome, and always watchable, however the lack of a script, and, of a more inspired direction kill his grace, and, intensity, reducing his work to just another flat stereotype), while, on the very surface, some potentially interesting, and pivotal characters, are embarrassingly cut short, without any sense of film's logics, and basic filmmaking, and, even here, just managing sadly to reduce some famed International actors (like the always attractive, and, mysteriously dark, Gabrielle Lazure) to nothing, or even worse, to a few misplaced professionals desperately trying to save a few realistic appearances, all ending up, instead, as featured extras, that not only don't add up, but just unfortunately create even more confusion within this convoluted, and, always so badly staged mess! This movie is so anonymously re-telling a (supposedly) real story of peculiar interest, that had actually began in the wealthy North Italy of the mid 1970's, always provoking a lot of press, and, complex, and, unanswered, controversial questions over the truth of an horrific tale about a tragic murder, and the fatal errors that followed over a badly suppressed police investigation (supposedly mined by political interests) that had kept many wondering until its unexpected, and, quite emblematic conclusion, that here gets just so badly and cheaply fragmented to result almost laughable! A truly pedestrian attempt to create an original, and, even International thriller of powerful social commentary, here just filmed without an adequate budget, indeed, but, most of all, without any care, any talent, or motive to even exist. A complete waste for me! Since it actually creates huge narrative plot holes, and, degrades good actors with its bad dialog, and complete lack of attention for style or insight, both visually and narratively, managing only to reduce an Italian story of highly political, and individual parameters to a little embarrassingly rushed TV- enactment look-alike (even some of those are made better than this!). What a pity!

The price for Justice

[moon_mirage · 10/10 · 18 February 2006]

Massimo Carlotto was 19 when he was walking along the street and heard a woman crying for help. He wanted to help her but found already her breathless corpse. Massimo ran home shocked by that sight. Later he told the story at the police station and was accused himself of a murder he hadn't committed. For 17 years Carlotto couldn't find justice: he had to spend some years in prison and then he became a fugitive feeling helpless before the law and *blind* judges. Massimo escaped to Paris, then to Barcelona and Mexico city. All those years he lived in fear. Finally Carlotto was pardoned by the President.

The story of an innocent man accused of a murder. At one moment his stable life turned into a never-ending nightmare. Sufferings,physical and mental pain, humiliation, ruining of all his hopes and dreams, the loss of his true love, his parents, his country. This story based on real events found a reflection in a movie by Andrea Manni *Il Fuggiasco*( *The Fugitive*).

A hard movie which makes us come to think of the sufferings of innocent people and of the Justice itself. Does it exist? And does one have to fight for it and pay such a high price?

Brilliant performance of Daniele Liotti ( as Massimo Carlotto). Giving 10 points from 10 to *Il Fuggiasco*.

Finally a great Italian Movie!!!!

[lappo1 · 10/10 · 26 February 2006]

The movie tells the incredible true story of Massimo Carlotto based on his first novel (Il Fuggiasco). The movie is well directed by Andrea Manni at his first direction. The editing is very good and you do not have time to relax a minute. Daniele Liotti gives an important performance , probably the best one since he is acting. The movie takes place in Padova, Paris , Normandy, Cagliari, Mexico City it doesn't look like an Italian movie. All the actors are well directed and you feel how much they were involved emotionally . Congratulations!!! It was a must to tell this story. I suggest everybody to see the movie.

Ciak

An awful movie for an important memento

[massimobrambilla · 23 February 2005]

The idea is interesting and intriguing: in a country (Italy) which never actually made the aftermath of political terrorism and the reaction to it, the idea of catching an outstanding case of degenerated/refused justice and making a movie of it was a good starting point. Unluckily, the realization and the acting is so given away, so trivialized, that one could expect little subtitles running, like "Look Jane: now the character is experiencing a sense of freedom!". The image of the family, the fianceé, etc. are so stereotyped and predictable that one really does not know what the movie aims to. Telling us there was a wrong done? I do agree and sympathize with the victim. That does not justify THIS movie. A documentary-movie, maybe, a "J'accuse" production or a White book. Not a movie which shows such a ludicrous self-righteousness in being "artistic". It might be that it's a RAI-cinema production, but the movie could perfectly be chopped in two-three chunks and televised with some good-food-for-the-wholesome-family commercials in between.

Different, useful, engaging...

[RosanaBotafogo · 8/10 · 18 July 2020]

The story itself is captivating, told in an agile, and didactic way, it causes revolt, pity and even a little anguish, imagine that it could happen to any of us, Massimo Carlotto will suffer well and will lose a lot of his life, excellent biographical film, different, useful, engaging...