Cinema Paradiso

This movie is wonderful. It really captures a sense of nostalgia many of us harbor in our own lives. I don't know why I put off seeing it for so long. A little boy grows up loving movies (movie people in their narcissism love movies about movies) and is mentored by an older guy who sees big things in the kid's future. A rose tinted view of youth, love, and times that never seem to stop changing is what follows and a wonderful story it makes for. One of the few movies to get a grasp on childhood along with Stand By Me, The Sandlot, and a few others. Another movie that could benefit greatly from an English dub, as too many people are too likely to avoid subtitles at all costs.

Absolutely one of the most beautiful, touching movies I've ever seen. Superbly acted by everyone and totally touched my heart. When he's watching the movie reel at the end I felt an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia, love and happiness for a time gone by when movie theaters were special places to go to lose yourself for a short time to something wonderful. A must see film.

After seeing this special edition DVD which shows the entire 174-minute film (in addition to the 121-minute one that most of us had seen over the years,) my rating of this film was elevated. This review is of the longer "director's cut."

Most of the new footage involved the main's character's romance while he was a young man. The story then is continued years later when that character comes back to his hometown for a funeral and runs into the woman he was in love with but never was able to get for his own. It turns out to be a somewhat tragic love story.

The first part of the film, with Salvatore Cascio as "Toto" a young boy is a love story about two people sharing their love of movies: the kid and an adult "Alfredo" (Phillpe Noiret) who runs the local movie theater. Their love of film bonds them for life.

The word "love" is used repeatedly in this review because that's the dominant theme: the love people had for others and for the world of film, something all of us on this website share.

The second and third parts of the film are the above-mentioned love story of Toto (Marco Leonardi as an adolescent and then Jacques Perrin as an adult) and "Elena" (Agnese Nano/ Brigitte Fossey). The first third of this director;s cut edition is much livelier and interesting, frankly, than the last two-thirds. Although not boring, it does drag in a few spots but the longer version is better in the long run because it makes the whole story much more meaningful.

It's very nicely filmed and you get a real feel for the Italian people and their little town. The director of the movie, Giuseppe Tornatore, went on to make other great visual films, two of which I also like: Malena and The Star Maker.....but Cinema Paradiso, I believe, is considered his "masterpiece."

The final scene is probably the best in the history.

I seldom watch Italian movies, (i saw it today for the first time) being Italian maybe i'm biased, but this one really stands out. A real masterpiece; i can't remember another movie so moving like this one, maybe Schindler's list; it makes you laugh and it makes you cry, yet it is so simple and straightforward. Maybe there lies its magic: no Hollywood superstars, no special effects, just pure emotions and feelings, love, fear, grief and regret, nostalgia for childhood and youth, memories of places and times that will not come back, memories of the loved ones. Some movies are there to entertain, some to scare, some to question. This movie is there to affect your feelings. Definitely to be seen.