Léolo is an immensely entertaining, instantly lovable, genre-defying, darkly comic coming-of-age drama of sorts. Think Cinema Paradiso meets American Beauty. It is just as unforgettable, but with a few more flaws. Léolo is the story of the titular character and his method of coping with his imposing family life via creative writing and dreaming (the most memorable of course being his conception by a Sicilian tomato). It is difficult to determine why exactly I love this movie so much; suffice it to say that it connected to me. I realized how universal it was--feeling out of place in your family, discovering sexuality, and learning life lessons--while being completely unique and charming. It manages to be so real while being composed almost entirely of a boy's imagination.Yet, there are flaws. A number of events near the end seem to be tacked on, to have little purpose, or to confuse unnecessarily. They took this movie down from a 4.9 (and potentially 5) to a 4. Technically, there were cinematic flourishes, but also less than impressive shots and editing (too many fade to blacks, in my opinion). The music was beautiful--worldly, oppositional, yet organic--that served as a perfect companion to the piece. The movie as a whole seems almost an oxymoron, of sorts, or at least an internal battle. Ebert got it right in his Great Movies review: "How can [Lauzon] create these characters, so grotesque, and make them human, and have sympathy for them? How can Leolo be so weird and inward, so angry and subversive, and yet somehow so noble? How can this story hurtle itself in every direction, and yet find a destination?" Not progressing chronologically, but thematically, the plot really consumes you. And because of its complexity, the movie is sure to remain in the memories of all who see it. I absolutely recommend this movie.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104782/