Cinema Paradiso

By the end of the movie I had completely forgotten that it was a foreign film, and that I had been reading subtitles.

The film takes place in Italy and centers around the childhood of Salvatore 'Toto' Di Vito. Toto's father is gone, and is not a factor in his life. Instead he forms a similar father/son platonic relationship with Alfredo.

Alfredo runs the Cinema Paradiso, and takes Toto somewhat under his wing. I enjoyed the movie because of the connection I was able to make to Toto. My own life has gotten busier than its ever been before. This has caused me to be nostalgic of my childhood. I miss all the cartoons I watched, the games I played, and the adventures I went on. I was jealous of Toto's childhood, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Young Toto, old Tota, and Alfredo were three very likable characters. The movie highlighted the nice, fatherly acts Alfredo did. For instance he gave Toto's mother the milk money that Toto had spent to see his movie. Young Toto is simply adorable. Older Toto is the right mix of looks and romanticism. He is not a push over. He tackles another boy in order to talk to Anna. Yet he is clearly not a bully.

The only part of the Movie I didn't like was Toto's return home. It wasn't horrible and I like most of it. It was just a bit long. I also didn't love Toto for failing to write letters. I understood why he didnt return to the town, and why Alfredo told him to stay away, and it made his return extremely sentimental, but I did feel bad for the Mother.

Was there a secret meaning in the film within the movie. Some screen shots suggest that the movie films may reflect real life. Are the love scenes cut out from the movies replaced by his love for Anna?

Overall Cinema Paradiso was a warm film. I loved the characters. Even though standing out in the rain was cliche, I loved the subsequent relationship. When Anna surprised Toto out in the rain I was extremely satisfied.

Final rating: 4.2