Toto the Hero (1991)

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

If there is one film after Citizen Kane based on a man's whole life, it has to be the Belgian film Toto le Heros. This film about fate, love, and childhood fantasies which are very hard to describe. Take a kids film of Von Trier, add a spoon-full of Amelie, an essence of Donnie Darko, a sprinkle of Lynchian strangeness and Terry Gilliam's wackiness, garnish it with Citizen Kane and The Third Man, and you'll meet Toto! Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, sometimes weird, always captivating; this is a film for people who enjoy non-linear and creative story-telling. Also, that much talked about floating plastic bag scene from "American Beauty" is taken straight from this film's unforgettable final scenes! Students interested in editing should learn from this film. This film sets the standards of modern editing, which can be compared with likes of Saving private Ryan, Requiem for a dream, The Conversation and City of Gods. The narration may seem complicated but the story-line is as simple as that- an unpredictable tale about a man who always thought he was nobody, and found at the very end of his life, that he was, in fact, a hero!

For a film which goes from here to there and back and forth, it seems odd that it loses its way for a good 15-20 minutes. There is a lot of appeal in a childlike view of the world. That we may be jolted back into "reality", does not diminish the charm. As the story unfolds, we are drawn into the life of a child/man or man/child. That matters not; it is fascinating - the way it is told. Then, the tale seems to lose direction, and as interesting as the telling is, a wandering story line diminishes interest in the tale; and, it begins to drag. The ending brings things back together again; and, but for a few aimless moments, we are brought back to a fascinating world of one person's imagination and reality.

This is one of those rare films that can be enjoyed or appreciated on many levels separately, or all at once. The point is that it is very enjoyable at whatever level you take it.For me, it is a profoundly moving film. It combines the comedy and frivolousness of the best of French film, with the most poignant and touching tragedy. The title provides much of the fodder for thought. Toto (what does that name mean?) the Hero. (Hero?) What kind of hero? Do you admire his heroism? Is it misplaced? Is it an act of self-sacrifice or...something else... What is a "hero"? Do we need them? Why? And where do they come from, what causes one man, a seemingly ordinary man, to perform an heroic act? Is he all of us? Is this potential inside us all? Delight in the asking of these questions, then delight in answering , some of them, one of them....none of them. This film is a fable, with all the potential whimsy and ambiguity therein.Enjoy.

A hearty recommendation for this film, which deftly kaleidoscopes time. Three actors portray one life at various age stages, through them we see the innocence of childhood and the guilt of autumn years are two sides of the same coign of vantage.The creative imagination of the protagonist (and the director) are well framed...and it was reassuring that some of the magic that our hero, Thomas, felt as a child stays with him throughout his life, and this film.Minor caveats for people who1) dislike non-linear time in a film2) voice-over narrationBut the distinct actors/times make #1 no problem here, better yet the dissolves between them are often lyrical...and I think more accurate to how we remember our time in this world.Reaffirmed my belief of the power in charged details (shoes in a closet, a pop tune, candy wrappers) and my faith in the beautiful complexity of a simple life.