Rating of
3.5/4
Nuovo cinema Paradiso review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 11/20/11
A movie that requires full attention and patience to really absorb its beauty. A story of Salvatore Di Vita's (Jacques Perrin) history. he recalls his experience in a village of Giancaldo, Sicily which starts in the 1940's. He meets an amiable film projector Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) in Cinema Paradiso. An unfortunate accident happens and "Toto" takes over the film projection and meets a new girl named Elena from his school. The two get together but unfortunately, Elena transferred her and they never got back. Alfredo advises Toto leave the town to do what he loves "he must pursue his destiny wholeheartedly and never look back and never return, never returning to visit, never to give in to nostalgia, never to even write or think about them." Salvatore returns for a reason.
First thing one would notice in this film is the endearing score. The artists performances were authentic one cannot help but be moved. Screenplay is well written since it had thought provoking lines from Alfredo - "Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything's changed." "Life isn't like in the movies. Life... is much harder." "Even the greatest love eventually fizzles out." "Whatever you end up doing, love it." The father and son type relationship was really effective. Themes of passion, friendship, loyalty, and love were exhibited masterfully. Its only minute problems I had was the depressing outcome of Elena and Toto's relationship, lack of character development (in terms of their careers/current girlfriend/real father of Toto/Toto's sister) and the destiny of Elena. Other than that, I thought A Beautiful Life was better in every aspect, but this entertained nevertheless especially for us who love movies.
