Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Somewhere in the middle, Cinema Paradiso stops being about movies and becomes about a teenager standing under a girl’s window every night, and it loses some air. That romance is sweet but mopey, and it pulls focus from the best friendship in the movie. That friendship is the reason to watch. Philippe Noiret plays Alfredo, the projectionist, as gruff, funny and wiser than he lets on, and Salvatore Cascio’s little Totò is pure mischief, treating the projection booth like a toy store. The whole town watches together, cheering, crying and heckling, while the priest rings a little bell at every kiss so it gets cut. Giuseppe Tornatore makes a small Sicilian village feel like the center of the universe. It knows exactly how much movies can mean to a lonely kid. Critics gave it 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 9.2 because its final minutes might be the best ending ever made about watching movies. $444 says you end up telling someone about the first movie you ever saw in a theater, in too much detail.

What works: Philippe Noiret and Salvatore Cascio make Alfredo and Totò one of the great friendships on film, and the ending is unforgettable.

What doesn’t: The teenage romance stretch is mopey and slow, and it pulls focus from the friendship that drives the movie.

Who it’s for: Anyone who fell in love with movies as a kid and wants to remember why.