BASED on the best-seller by Niccolo Ammaniti who also penned the screenplay, I'm Not Scared is a dark and brooding coming of age story, told from the perspective of a ten-year-old boy.

Michele (Cristiano) lives with his parents and younger sister Maria (Matturro) in a tiny village in southern Italy.

It's summer 1978, the hottest on record, and Michele whiles away the sweltering days performing menial chores for his mother (Sanchez-Gijon).

He also tries to forge bonds with his estranged father Pino (Abbrescia), who has recently returned home from abroad.

However, Pino constantly berates his young son for his apparent lack of manliness, proving his point by defeating his son in regular bouts of arm-wrestling.

With his housework complete, Michele embarks on a series of adventures with his friends, often cycling for miles around to explore the stunning countryside.

A routine game of dare leads Michele to an old abandoned farmhouse where he makes a terrifying discovery: a boy his own age called Filippo (Di Pierro) shackled in a dark pit.

After overcoming his initial shock, Michele befriends the boy, taking him food and water so he might survive his horrendous ordeal.

Michele keeps Filippo's existence a secret from everyone apart from one young friend, Salvatore (Biase).

He certainly doesn't tell his parents, especially now that his father's so-called friend and business associate, Sergio (Abatantuono), has taken up temporary residence.

When it transpires that Pino is somehow involved in Filippo's fate, Michele orchestrates a daring escape bid, with tragic consequences.

I'm Not Scared looks absolutely ravishing.

Director Gabriele Salvatores and director of photography Italo Petriccione capture the unspoiled beauty of rural Italy: vast expanses of golden cornfields basking beneath brilliant blue skies.

They contrast the brightness of the hot summer days with the darkness that envelops Filippo, and gradually leeches into Michele's world, threatening to destroy his entire community.

Cristiano is a mesmerising screen presence, completely natural in front of the camera, and the other young performers are just as impressive.

The sense of mounting tension is palpable, accentuated by Pepo Scherman and Ezio Bosso's haunting orchestral score, building to a devastating climax.

DAMON SMITH