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Monday 1 December 2014

Movie Review - The New Cinema Paradiso

Movie review number 32

PLOT
This is an Italian language movie with english subtitles and starts in Sicily in a weeny little tin-pot town with a little old lady trying to ring her son in Rome, and leaving a message to say that Alfredo had died.  When Salvatore (the lady's son) gets home late, he's given the message....... and the movie is his flashback memories of Alfredo.
In the little tinpot town in Sicily just after the end of WW2, the local priest runs the Cinema Paradiso in the church with movies fit in around church services.  Young Salvatore lives at home with his Mum and sister, his Dad being "missing" in Russia but not yet declared dead.  Alfredo is the projectionist but also splices out all kissing scenes from all the movies, as censored by the Priest before putting the movies on public view. Salvatore, aka Toto, is about 5 or 6 and insists on assisting Alfredo (but usually gets in the way!)  Alfredo agrees to gives Toto the "out-cuts" from the movies but won't let him take them home (these were the really old types of movie that was apt to burst into flames if not stored properly!!)  Toto manages to pilfer a few to take home and store in a jar under the bed which later burst into flame and causes a fire at home.  He gets a belting from his Mum... but does show a good aptitude for changing the movie reels in the projection room!  However, later there's a fire in the actual projection room at the church, which not only destroys Cinema Paradiso, but Alfredo gets badly burnt..... but is saved by Toto pulling him out.
A Bigshot businessman then finances the New Cinema Paradiso being built, and has Toto as the young projectionist.  Alfredo visits and then becomes the "assistant" instead of Toto!
Toto gets into making home movies and spots a very pretty new girl that starts at his school called Elana.  She's the daughter of a Rich Banker..... who does not approve when he finds out they're dating.  After Toto gets called up for National Service, he does his time in the military and returns home to find that Elana has completely disappeared off the planet.... her father has moved her away.
Alfredo and Toto have a talk after that, and Alfredo says for Toto to leave the tinpot town (it's now a ghost town, everybody's left) and to go to Rome and do something he loves doing...... I suspect it's making movies!
Toto returns home for Alfredo's funeral, and is given a movie reel to take with him.  The Cinema Paradiso is destroyed to make way for a parking lot.
Toto takes the movie reel back to Rome and views it to find......... I'm not telling you!!!  It's a very "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh" ending that ties in perfectly with the beginning!!!

RECOMMENDED
Yes, it's lovely!!!

SCORE
10 squeaks out of 10

SCOOBY SNACKS
Your favourite real Italian Gelato!

6 comments:

  1. Another great Beanie review (and we very much approve of the snack suggestion!). We also love the profile photo with you and Sandy (and we're SO jealous).

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  2. That sounds like a great movie! And I too think the snack is perfect. Great header picture too!

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    1. It's certainly a good header photo, eh?!!!! Have you finished cleaning your mudlarking funds yet? I still don't know what you went home with!!

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    2. I know!!! I have been trying to be patient while Mama coughs and sneezes and gets over feeling yucky. I think in the next day or two...

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  3. wow - a 10 out of 10! is that 10 out of 10 pieces of cheese?

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