Adriano Tardiolo delivers a noteworthy performance in this story that feels very much like something out of the Bible, centered on the character of young “Lazzaro.” He portrays a kindhearted individual who readily assists those around him within his community—a group controlled by the unsympathetic "Marchesa" (Nicoletta Braschi). She seems to view these rural inhabitants no better than the animals she talks about. Her teenage son, “Tancredi” (Luca Chikovani), though privileged, possesses a hint of defiance, and when he befriends “Lazzaro” and discovers the young man’s secluded spot on the hill, he decides to run away from his mother and pretend he's been kidnapped. Not surprisingly, his mother sees through this scheme and refuses to pay the ransom, but that delay allows these two boys to form what they hope will be a lasting friendship. Then “Lazzaro” has an accident, and upon waking, everything is different. For everyone else, decades have passed, and it’s only when he meets a childhood friend, “Antonia” (Agnese Graziani), and her family – a group of somewhat understandably doubtful junk dealers and petty criminals – that he gets the possibility of starting over in the city. He doesn't easily adapt to their way of life because he is quiet and sincere, but she won’t let them abandon him on the streets, even if she thinks he’s not particularly helpful. It becomes obvious to those around him that all he truly desires is to find his friend—but what are the chances now? The film combines a culture of harsh, selfish exploitation with a gentle sense of religiousness, which proves to be quite moving as events unfold later on. Tardiolo doesn’t have many lines; in fact, there isn't much dialogue overall, and that works well. It feels like parables about generosity, treating others well, and getting what you deserve, leading up to an ending that is both disturbing and yet somehow positively symbolic. What does it mean to be human—in terms of our humanity rather than just biology? What distinguishes us from animals? Superstition, belief, affection, anxiety, music, integrity? Numerous questions are raised within this simplicity, and they’re delicately presented and at times engagingly thought-provoking.

Source on TMDB