Review of Cinema Paradiso (1988) by Karen G — 12 Aug 2014

I'm kind of with the Guardian reviewer who finds the kid (and his teenage successor) somewhat annoying and unbelievable as precursors to the later director. Having waited 25 years to watch this movie, I'm pretty unimpressed.

Compared to Fellini, it is sappy rather than nostalgic, and completely predictable. I suppose if the movie clips were ones I knew personally, I might have had a very different experience of it. I think the central role of Toto was woefully miscast two times out of three.

First kid was implausible as a ten year old and had no redeeming characteristic other than persistence. His next incarnation was almost without personality and had no resemblance to the actor playing the man he would become-- either in features or physicality.

His becoming a renowned director has no plausibility since we never see him as anything but a mostly indifferent observer. The best you can say about him is his love for Alfredo. Not what I would call a masterpiece.