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Monica Bellucci excerpted from "The Full Monica," by Jamie Bryan in the February/March 2002 issue of Movieline. Although she has been a household name in Europe for years, Monica Bellucci is still a well-kept secret to most Americans. But the Italian idol should have global stardom in her sights with key roles in the secrecy-shrouded sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions as well as her current Stateside release, the French-made action-thriller Brotherhood of the Wolf. As Le Pacte Des Loups, the genre-defying epic in which she costarred with her husband, French actor Vincent Cassel (Hate, Elizabeth), was a colossal hit in France. Bellucci plays Sylvia, a powerful seductress in a rural region of 18th-century Southern France besieged by a mysterious, murderous beast. In casting Bellucci, director Christophe Gans found himself drawn to "the intelligence and complexity that exists behind the facade, behind the magnificent beauty she possesses." La bella Monica--as one of many worshipful websites calls her--grew up in the small, ancient town of Citta di Castello, idolizing Italian cinema icons like Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and Anna Magnani. "Those actresses, they came on-screen as such strong personalities," she says. "At the same time, they were really passionate, really sensual." Though she currently resides in Paris--where she relocated for film work since "it is very difficult to become international just through Italian films"--her heart will never leave Italy. Without a moment's hesitation, she says the actor she would most love to share a scene with is the late Marcello Mastroianni. PAGE 1 | 2 |
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Bellucci was studying law in Milan when a friend urged her to try modeling. Soon steady work--"a lot, a lot, a lot," she says--lured her from the university. It was Miramax's Malena that put Bellucci on the map in America after years of steady work in Italy and France. Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) offered her the role after they worked on a Dolce & Gabbana commercial together. And if Bellucci was seeking validation for more than her appearance, Malena was a perfect opportunity. As the title character, she played a conspicuously attractive widow in a small-minded Sicilian village circa World War II who becomes not just a prisoner of her beauty, but a casualty. Bellucci's wrenchingly vulnerable performance revealed unforgettable acting courage. Hollywood took notice. In addition to having landed the Matrix movies, she is filming an as-yet-untitled project with Bruce Willis. She is grateful for the high-profile work, but insists her goal is "to make good movies. Whether the film is American or European doesn't matter to me." Not that she is taking even a moment for granted. "This business is crazy. You know how it is," she says, sighing. "I know so many people that are so talented that just...they don't have the chance to do anything. So I am already very lucky to have the chance to work with all these talented people." PAGE 1 | 2 |