Rita Atria grew up surrounded by Mafiosi- a side effect of being Sicilian- and her courageous, literally suicidal testimony before Italian courts was instrumental in bringing some seriously bad dudes to justice, so I wish I had enjoyed "The Sicilian Girl" more. A dramatization of the real life story that saw Atria take on the Mafia practically by herself (as a form of Vendetta, of course) 'The Sicilian Girl" has a really promising first act that sets up the criminal workings of a small town, only to sort of stall as Rita flees to the big city. The problem is, I confess, that I never really fell for Veronica D'Agostino's acting. Her Rita should convey righteousness, but she conveys petulance, like somehow the Mafia was just REALLY annoying her when she decided to turn State Witness. Italian viewers might feel- and probably DO feel- differently: this is a social document to those who are tired of the impunity with which the Cosa Nostra operates. But for me, this failed as a drama, despite the intrinsic power of the story: I just think I would have been much more worried about Rita's fate if she had been placed in the care of a better actress. To be fair, it's not just D'Agostino. With three marked exceptions (the father, the judge, the gangster), the acting in this movie is unimpressive. An important story that fails to be an important movie.
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