232. Cinema Paradiso; movie review

CINEMA PARADISO
Cert PG
123 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex

If romance and whimsy aren't my usual bag why do I love Cinema Paradiso so much?
A re-release of Giuseppe Tornatore's movie gave me the opportunity to try to understand why it resonates so deeply.
Sure, there is the obvious link to the love of going to the pictures - although even my dedication doesn't match that of young Toto (Salvatore Cascio) and an Italian village projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret ).
But I reckon it is the devil in every loving detail, especially those crowd scenes in the beloved picture house.
Toto is the impish young boy who grows up in the shadow of the Cinema Paradiso which is the main source of local entertainment.
Hanging around the picture house means he sometimes get to see what the public doesn't because their a priest (Leopoldo Trieste) is a self-appointed censor.
Nevertheless, screenings are the chance for young scamps like Toto to let off steam, twentysomethings to go on dates and the middle-aged and elderly to have a rare night out.
Each age group occupies a different part of the cinema and doesn't hold back in cheering or jeering characters on screen.
The early stages of Tornatore's movie are seen through Toto's wide eyes - when exploration as well as breaking gentle rules are accompanied by a smile which melts hearts.
Then tragedy strikes and Toto progresses to early adulthood (played by Marco Leonardi) when more serious matters - such as love - have to be handled.
Meanwhile, his relationship with his widowed mother (Antonella Attili) becomes stickier as it does when he reaches middle-age (played by Jacques Perrin) in the final segment of the film.
Apparently, Cinema Paradiso is loosely based on the history of a family who have owned an independent cinema in Italy since 1904.
It takes us back to an age of innocence and discovery when the cinema was at the heart of communities.
It is there that people laughed and cried and that lifelong bonds were formed.
Only while watching Bollywood films have I experienced the atmosphere akin to the one my parents knew when visiting their local 'fleapit'.
The picture house was split into age segments and it was clear that watching a film was an occasion which involved the whole family and their friends.
It was a glimpse into the past - rekindled by the beautiful Cinema Paradiso.

Reasons to watch: It is simply a beautiful picture
Reasons to avoid: Some might say it is too slow

Laughs: Three
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Very brief
Overall rating: 9.5/10

Did you know? Giuseppe Tornatore's intention was that this movie should serve as an obituary for traditional movie theatres (like the one on the film) and the movie industry in general. After the movie's success, he never mentioned this again.

The final word. Salvatore Cascio: "It’s become like watching my son on the screen. Myself as my son, I mean. So I feel a lot of emotion, a lot of tenderness when I watch the film now. And yes, I remember a lot from the shoot." Cineaste

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