Two words make me cry.

Cinema. Paradiso.

I’ve seen the movie so many times and the end scene gets me every time – to the point where I have trouble breathing without making ridiculous noises. The stupid thing is I don’t even have to be watching it, I just have to think about it and I start blubbing.

The music, the pure-joy facial expressions from the actor (which were all from the first take, we’ve found out) and all those wonderful … no, no, no, I’m not going to tell you! If you haven’t seen it, I could not possibly spoil it for you!!

Leo watched it with me for the first time tonight, and enjoyed it, but I’m sure he was more worried about the sobbing mess on the other couch to let ‘the gravity of it all’ soak in. Here’s a little blurb about the movie, which is an ode to love and the love of cinema. (It was filmed in Sicily, so we’re still on an ‘all things Sicilian at the movies” roll. The Godfather will probably be next!)

If you get the chance to see Cinema Paradiso, please do so. It won the ‘Best International Film’ Oscar in 1990, and while some of the make-up has a lot to answer for, the story is one of the most lovely and sentimental you’re likely to see.

“Alfredo! Alfredo!”

Wishing you a wonderful day. Sob sob.