(spoilers) I thoroughly enjoyed "Miele" (aka Honey), an Italian gem of a movie on an important subject matter, assisted Suicide. Handled improperly or without touch a filmmaker could botch a movie about such a divisive matter, but the talented actress Valeria Golino in her directorial debut creates an excellent, introspective piece. Central to making this work is her lead actress Jasmine Trinca turning in a complex, soft, but a bit dark character of Irene. Irene is mesmerizing, not so much due to beauty, but more so due to her questioning. This is one of the better movies I've seen this year; Golino wisely decides not to pull some punches. It is beautifully directed and acted. 8/10 and recommended.

MIELE (Honey), Italian, 2013, Directed by Valerian Golino: Starring Jasmine Trinca (Miele) and Carlo Cecchi (Grimaldi) Viewed at Jameson CINEFEST, Miskolc, Hungary, October 2013:The Italian film Miele had another unusual subject this week, Euthanasia, and a fascinating lead actress, I have never seen before but would like to see much more of after this. Jasmine Trinca is exceptionally beautiful, has a perfect face, globular eyes and slim body, and you simply cannot keep yours eyes off of her -- even dressed as she is in this film unglamorously in jeans, and with boyishly close cropped hair. Miele is basically the story (third time this week) of a relationship between a young woman and a much older man; Irene, 31, and Grimaldi (Carlo Cecchi) 74. Irene, nick named "Miele" (honey) has an unusual job which requires her to take trips to Mexico to procure dog killer, Latuna, ostensibly a substance "to put down dogs", but actually a poison to put terminally ill patients out of their misery. The subject is Euthanasia, and the complicated psychology of people who want to end it all. Irene is an illegal suicide assistant and gives the applicants every chance to change their minds, but in the end it is Mr. Grimaldi, a 70 year old man in perfect health but simply tired of living, who will make her change her own mind about the grisly way she has chosen to make a living -- administering illegal drugs and poisons to people who want to die. A bit thin in story line but the hypnotically beautiful lead actress turns it into a compelling sit through ; Jasmine Trinca, 31, was the actress playing Irene. The pic was directed by well known Italian actress Valeria Golino, her first turn behind the cameras, a modt promising debut to say the least. Trinca, a leading light in Italian films since 2000, received the Italian Golden Globe "Nastro d'argento" best actress award this year for her work in "Miele" and the film itself was screened at Cannes in "Un certain regard" where it won a commendation by the Ecumenical jury, a body whose function is to show support for Good Christian values. One can easily see why since suicide is a mortal sin in the Catholic Church.Ten stars -- Jasmine Trinca will give you a reason to live another day

Jasmine Trinca is Honey, a beautiful young woman enjoying the life of a free spirit, living alone in a beach front apartment in Italy. She seems to be without means but she is in contact with a hospital worker, a friend of hers, who pays her to assist dying patients in their death. She feels she's giving people relief but what she does is illegal.She's handled all the emotional issues until one of her rules is broken and she's suddenly at risk of losing her moral compass. The movie then chronicles her struggle to maintain through her unexpected friendship with one of her older clients, Carlo Cecchi in a wonderful supporting role.The movie is affecting and beautifully shot. The acting is mostly Trinca's responsibility and she carries it off so impressively that I couldn't help thinking how she's somewhat reminiscent of a cross between Keira Knightley and Winona Ryder but better than either. Ultimately what I liked best about this film is that it so convincingly matches or exceeds all other attempts to cover this sensitive topic I'm aware of.

Honey is a human drama that has a decent plot. The film, which is the directing debut of Italian actress Valeria Golino is a well shot, well-made film, that's only real weakness is just how confusing it can sometimes be. The film deals with the idea of euthanasia, and does not necessarily tell us whether it is a good or a bad thing.Honey tells the story of Irene (played by Jasmine Trinca) an Italian woman nicknamed Honey who has dedicated herself to helping people who are suffering, by helping them ending their lives. She tries to find ways to make their problems less severe, despite the extreme decisions they do, because she believes it is the right thing to do. When she meets a middle-aged man named Grimaldi (played by Carlo Cecchi), her self-confidence is challenged, as Grimaldi wants her to end his life not because he is suffering, but because he is bored. A mutual relationship formed between the two as Honey sets out to learn why Grimaldi wants to do what he wants to do.An Italian/French co-production partially shot in Mexico, Honey is a movie that shows real human emotions. The performances in the film help immensely. Jasmine Trinca, the actress, playing Honey shows different moods throughout the film, such as frustration, anger and happiness, and she shows them all very well.The film itself has an interesting idea for a plot that deals with euthanasia which is banned in most countries and it's not hard to see why. The idea of taking someone's life no matter had bad they are suffering, does not sit well with many people. Honey does not necessarily say that euthanasia is a good thing; instead the film explains why the idea is actually helpful in some ways. Those who are suffering from a disease that they can't cure objectively want their lives to taken away from them. The film, however, also shows us why the idea of euthanasia is potentially dangerous, with Honey, the main character, even questioning such a thing once in the film.Being a first time director, aside from a short film, director Golino does some interesting camera choices. One recurring motif throughout the film is Honey swimming in the water, which occurs three times during the film. The idea seems to be that water is meant to represent Honey at her most natural state, and that she swims in order to drown out the misery in her life. The soundtrack using both English and Italian songs is also well incorporated. In the scene where Honey is taking her bike ride, the song helps to push the mood of the scene, as we see her going by quite fast on her bicycle.Honey is not a masterpiece by any means. Some viewers might find the plot to be a little confusing to follow. However, I find the film to be an interesting look at euthanasia and how it affects people.