Legend of 1900

My DS2 is a movie expert. You name the movie, he can not only tell you who directed what, what reviewers said, and who's in it, he can also tell you if it's worth watching.

We sometimes skype in the mornings. He is 14 hours ahead of me in time, so at 6:30am when I go online to check the news, he is generally on the couch for the evening with his lovely wife. I often click in and say, hi. We usually use the chat feature on skype, rather than using the webcams. I feel more comfortable that way, as the keyboard is a very instinctive way to communicate for me, and I sometimes freeze up face-to-face, even if it is face-to-webcam.

Yesterday we were chatting and I asked for a movie recommendation. He recommended "Legend of 1900." Said there was some outstanding music in it. That was enough for me. It's directed by the same guy who did, "Cinema Paradiso," which I loved, so I checked it out.

I was worried this might be a challenge in our small town. We have a Redbox at the grocery, and while it's a great deal -- 99¢ a night --it only carries recent movies. DS had said he had to go to 4 Blockbusters to find the movie, so I was not optimistic. But I made the rare trip to Blockbuster, just in case. Surprisingly, they had it, and beat the Redbox price, charging me only 99¢ for 5 days.

LO went to the movies last night with her crowd, to see the opening of Twilight, a blog for another day. So, being home alone, DH and I built a fire and cuddled up for the movie.

• The opening dialogue was irresistible.
• The first two scenes totally sucked me in.
• I love the adoptive dad.
• The scenery was compelling.
• The sets were haunting.
• The story was totally unbelievable, but mind you, they SAID the story was unbelievable.

I resented it a tad when the guy was playing his most important piece of music and at that exact moment a breathtakingly lovely girl happened to linger outside the window, so that he made the most beautiful music of his life. There are other coincidences too unlikely to swallow, but I won't spoil the story for you.

Overall, the story will linger over your head like the little cloud that followed Pooh as he went about his day. This movie is unlike any other I've ever seen, and, despite the comedic ironies, I highly recommend it.