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!
8.5/10
सौरभ राय | Sourav Roy 