Der Luftballonverkäufer

It's really too bad that this movie had cheap production values and a low budget. With a bigger, Hollywood-type budget and an A-tier production, it could have really tugged on your heartstrings. As it was, I did find myself reaching for a Kleenex, so I guess the movie did achieve its goal after all. Last Moments is about a terminally ill little boy, Renato Cestiè, who lives with his alcoholic father, James Whitmore, in Europe. James was married to Marina Malfatti, and they both worked in the circus, but she left him and their boy for another man and another life. Since then, James has had to adjust to being a single father, a breadwinner, and staying sober. Sometimes his friends are very helpful, and sometimes they egg him on and let him drink himself into oblivion and lose a bunch of money. Lee J. Cobb is no-good, and one day he takes his life savings - do you think that money might have come in handy when Renato gets sick?

The story is very good, James Whitmore pours his heart into the role, and if you have a very good imagination, you'll realize this movie is a tearjerker. It's just very European and very cheap. If you don't mind those elements, or you like Whitmore and Cobb, find a copy.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There's a scene in the bar when James gets drunk and the camera shows his POV for a few seconds before he falls over, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"