Sim1Five times five equals Christmas- A Love Letter to Film
June 28th 2011 22:15
I believe I have just finished watching one of the most beautiful films ever made. In my humble, fishy film opinion, anyway.
It started with inspired casting- Salvatore Cascio, the cutest and most adorable boy to have ever appeared on film. Coupled with Philippe Noiret, playing the father figure to the fatherless child. Add a bit of magic in the form of Ennio Morricone’s music and hey presto- you have an Italian masterpiece that could never have come out of Hollywood. Because Hollywood lacks the passion required to make a film like this, Hollywood is too prude to show people masturbating in cinemas whilst watching a sex scene (even though we all know it happens). Hollywood is not brave enough to tastefully or realistically film a love story without a happy ending. Hollywood lacks that certain sense of humour and is only able to make obvious jokes rather than subtle ones. And in Hollywood, there must and will be a storyline from the following list:
Boy meets girl, some obstacles appear but are soon overcome and all is well again. The End.
There is a car chase in San Francisco and/or some ridiculous villain with diamante acne or similar stupid accessory. Stuff gets blown up. The End.
The world is coming to an end (the options here are numerous: aliens, natural disasters or meteorites and Bruce Willis may all be possible causes). The End
Tell a lot of stupid jokes that appeal to 12 year olds but do make sure you explain the ‘funny’ bit. At length. The End.
Yes, dear readers, there is also the Superhero category, but that is usually an amalgamation of all of the above.
Hollywood lacks the imagination to say ‘Today, I will make a film about something that I am passionate about or someone who inspired me.’
Luckily, Italian writer and director Giuseppe Tornatore faced no such problems when, in 1988, he wrote a love letter to film.
Granted, it’s a long love letter (just over two and a half hours), but then the Italians have never been known to be precise, on time or in a hurry, have they.
Of course, dear readers, you are well aware that whenever Fish on Film Headquarters recommend a film these days, chances are, the FoF CEO bawled her eyes out. And ‘Cinema Paradiso’ was no exception. But I will not spoil your viewing pleasure by telling you what happens. However, rest assured, the casting gets better with Marco Leonardi as the teenage version of Toto and Pupella Maggio as Toto’s ageing Mum. Not sure about Jacques Perrin as adult Toto, but here at FoF we forgave that casting faux pas when we saw the fabulous Brigitte Fossey as adult Elena.
Of course, being a film history student and all, I could go into the symbolisms of the cinema burning down, being painstakingly restored only to be torn again. Or the religious statuettes popping up everywhere, but that’s not what this film has been about for me.
So I guess what I am trying to say here is that this little Oscar-winning number is a stunning masterpiece of cinematic genius and you need to see it. Now.
It started with inspired casting- Salvatore Cascio, the cutest and most adorable boy to have ever appeared on film. Coupled with Philippe Noiret, playing the father figure to the fatherless child. Add a bit of magic in the form of Ennio Morricone’s music and hey presto- you have an Italian masterpiece that could never have come out of Hollywood. Because Hollywood lacks the passion required to make a film like this, Hollywood is too prude to show people masturbating in cinemas whilst watching a sex scene (even though we all know it happens). Hollywood is not brave enough to tastefully or realistically film a love story without a happy ending. Hollywood lacks that certain sense of humour and is only able to make obvious jokes rather than subtle ones. And in Hollywood, there must and will be a storyline from the following list:
There is a car chase in San Francisco and/or some ridiculous villain with diamante acne or similar stupid accessory. Stuff gets blown up. The End.
The world is coming to an end (the options here are numerous: aliens, natural disasters or meteorites and Bruce Willis may all be possible causes). The End
Tell a lot of stupid jokes that appeal to 12 year olds but do make sure you explain the ‘funny’ bit. At length. The End.
Yes, dear readers, there is also the Superhero category, but that is usually an amalgamation of all of the above.
Hollywood lacks the imagination to say ‘Today, I will make a film about something that I am passionate about or someone who inspired me.’
Granted, it’s a long love letter (just over two and a half hours), but then the Italians have never been known to be precise, on time or in a hurry, have they.
Of course, dear readers, you are well aware that whenever Fish on Film Headquarters recommend a film these days, chances are, the FoF CEO bawled her eyes out. And ‘Cinema Paradiso’ was no exception. But I will not spoil your viewing pleasure by telling you what happens. However, rest assured, the casting gets better with Marco Leonardi as the teenage version of Toto and Pupella Maggio as Toto’s ageing Mum. Not sure about Jacques Perrin as adult Toto, but here at FoF we forgave that casting faux pas when we saw the fabulous Brigitte Fossey as adult Elena.
Of course, being a film history student and all, I could go into the symbolisms of the cinema burning down, being painstakingly restored only to be torn again. Or the religious statuettes popping up everywhere, but that’s not what this film has been about for me.
So I guess what I am trying to say here is that this little Oscar-winning number is a stunning masterpiece of cinematic genius and you need to see it. Now.
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