Eternity and a Day (1998)

Not as heart-warming as "Kolya," nor as powerful as "L'Avventura," but still a movingly worthwhile experience. The leaps from one point in the hero's lifetime to another are poignant. Many of the directorial flourishes are quite memorable; the wedding sequence is not to be missed!

Our hero, Alexos, exists in the present urban world in which the weather is gloomy and almost everyone wears black; but his mind wanders to the past, where the sun infallibly shines over the shore and nearly all wear white. Yet when Alexos imagines himself in his past, he's still shrouded in black; he can't even dream that he could be happy, until a street urchin appears to rattle him from his shell.

This film does contain elements we've seen before, but arranges them in a fresh way. It reminded me how precious and fleeting each moment really is, and how wondrous it can be to share our moments with others.