ooooh my god.

"cinema paradiso" is soooo freakin awwwwwesomely brilliant. it's definitely one of the better ones we saw in class, if not the best. this film is the reason why i find foreign films so intriguing. it shows us a different view of the world that's full of imagination and beauty and how wonderful life can be (but often taken for granted). the story of this film is very heartwarming, and the bond between toto and his friend alfredo (philippe noiret) is very sweet.

"cinema paradiso" is a film about film. it starts with the old toto looking back on his childhood upon hearing the death of his beloved friend alfredo, and it takes us through young toto's (salvatore cascio) journey into adulthood and his love for film and a girl named elena (agnese nano). both characters, young toto and alfredo are very likable. toto is a curious and clever kid, and alfredo is kind and sort of a child himself. the chemistry between them is amazing.

even though the film is over two hours long and has a few long dialogues, i wasn't bored at all. it had the opposite effect on me. the film is so magical, yet unbelievably real. i didn't want it to end. it's truly a piece of art.