Cinema Paradiso

Giuseppe Tornatore directed this simplistic, nostalgic 1989 Italian film about a small-town movie theater in Sicily as experienced by a little boy (Salvatore Cascio) who hangs out with the projectionist (Philippe Noiret) and collects footage cut out of movies by the local censor. Eventually the boy takes over as projectionist and grows up to become a filmmaker (Jacques Perrin). Originally a two-part, three-hour film, this treacle has been reduced by almost a third, though it still seems to run on forevera bit like life but less interesting. The film is rife with outrageous continuity errors and unexplained anomalies, but people who want to have a good cry probably won’t mindthere’s more than enough bathos to drown in, or to win an Oscar for. With Marco Leonardi and Agnese Nano. PG, 123 min. (JR)

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