Overview: 'Cinema Paradiso' offers a nostalgic look at films and the effect they have on a young boy who grows up in and around the title village movie theater in this Italian comedy drama that is based on the life and times of screenwriter/director Giuseppe Tornatore.

The story begins in the present as a Sicilian mother pines for her estranged son, Salvatore, who left many years ago and has since become a prominent Roman film director who has taken the advice of his mentor too literally.

He finally returns to his home village to attend the funeral of the town's former film projectionist, Alfredo, and, in so doing, embarks upon a journey into his boyhood just after WWII when he became the man's official son.

In the dark confines of the Cinema Paradiso, the boy and the other townsfolk try to escape from the grim realities of post-war Italy.

Blu-ray Verdict: As I hope you all already know, this delightfully charming Italian motion picture achieved notorious fame, comparable to the equally famous and more recent Italian movie 'La Vita è Bella'.

Like that one, this one is also very good in its first half, but after that it becomes a movie of bad taste. That's really too bad, because this movie (and 'La Vita à Bella') had potential to be something big.

'Cinema Paradiso' can be considered a homage both to cinema and films. It shows us the pinnacle of the cinema as an industry of entertainment and as an escape for those who go there to watch the movies, making them forget the hard reality of poverty and war. Besides the cinema's success, it also shows its progress, its bankrupt, its decadence and its sad ending.

This is a very simple film. However, simplicity doesn't necessary mean something bad. Plus, the brilliant and memorable soundtrack by Ennio Morricone adds lots of emotion to the film, particularly in its first half, which is without a doubt the best part of the movie.

One of the biggest charms of this movie is the fascination and enthusiasm of Salvatore (whose nickname is "Toto") on the cinema and the projectionist job.

He wins the friendship of the local projectionist, Alfredo, who also teaches him all about that job. As you can tell, "Toto" is a very intelligent kid and a very quick learner. Plus, he is mischievous, cute and hilarious.

Of course, even the first half has its minor faults, such as the pranks of bad taste - for example, that pig who spits to the audience and the prank with a bug on the sleepy guy. Pranks aside, I also don't like at times the behavior of Salvatore's mother as she slaps him a number of times.

As for the good of the first half, well, just about most of it. And this without forgetting Salvatore's dumb classmate. He's a poor dumb kid who doesn't know what 5x5 is. Whenever he answers that question is hilarious, as each answer is dumber than the previous one.

On the third time, he goes as far as replying «Natale!» (which is "Christmas" in Italian) - when he said that, I practically died of laughter!

As for the second half of the movie, most of it seems quite rushed and forced, sadly. Salvatore is no longer charming as a grown up. The love story between Salvatore and the girl of his dreams is frustrating in all ways, not to mention that it's ridiculous that Salvatore spends entire months waiting for her to open the window as a sign that she fell in love for him.

There is no comedy or charm here, as in the first half. An animal is stabbed and Salvatore joins the army. And Alfredo's attitude later is puzzling: forcing Salvatore to leave that town forever, never look back, never return (not even to visit, going as far as saying that if he returns he won't receive him in his house), and never allow nostalgia to strike him, and never to even write or think about them again.

I clearly prefer "Toto" as a child than as a teen or as an adult for "Toto" is far more charming as a child. In fact, the moment he grows up, for some reason the movie loses its initial greatness, in my humble opinion.

Phillipe Noiret gives a great performance as Alfredo, but little Salvatore Cascio steals the show as little "Toto".

Furthermore, this coming-of-age story is then made even better thanks to these great actors, background visuals, and phenomenal Ennio Morricone's scored soundtrack. I personally want to praise the two aforementioned actors that acted out the child and teenage versions of "Toto."

While the former perfectly captured the innocence of a child who was compassionate but also wildly curious about everything, the latter perfectly captured the naiveté of a teenager when it came to love and life in general (albeit not something that stuck to the page, so to speak).

In closing, and overall, 'Cinema Paradiso is a pleasant and meaningful childhood memory. A profoundly tender and nostalgic film with which it is easy to identify without restrictions, especially if like "Toto" we have carried since childhood, or blood clutching a fascination for film.

The film was winner of Golden Globe, Oscar for Best Foreign Film and was a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. A pity that the Italian cinema still suffers from the crisis that is stifling the past several decades.

Indeed, movies like 'Cinema Paradiso' remind us that Italy always gave us one of the best filmmakers in the world. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

• Audio commentary with director Giuseppe Tornatore and Italian cinema expert critic Millicent Marcus
• A Dream of Sicily – A 52-minute documentary profile of Giuseppe Tornatore
• A Bear and a Mouse in Paradise – A 27-minute documentary on the making of Cinema Paradiso
• The Kissing Sequence – Giuseppe Tornatore discusses the origins of the kissing scenes with clips identifying each scene
• Original Director's Cut Theatrical Trailer and 25th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer

Amazon Purchase Link

Original Trailer