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Toto the Hero

1991 · Movie · PG-13 · 91 min · ★ 7.1 · 80% critics

DramaComedyFantasy

An elderly man looks back on his life through shifting memories, flashbacks, and dreamlike moments. Convinced a hospital fire led to a baby swap, he grows up believing he was meant for a better life, and that someone else has been living the future he deserved.

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Details
Original title
Toto le héros
Years
1991
Release date
1991-05-17
Language
French
Rated
PG-13
Runtime
91 min
Critic score
80/100
TMDB rating
7.1/10 (120 votes)
About

If you enjoy offbeat, non-linear life stories that mix humor, melancholy, and a touch of strangeness, this could click, especially if you liked Life Is a Long Quiet River; Not for you if you want fast pacing and straightforward plots.

Pros: inventive non-linear storytelling; funny and heartbreaking; thoughtful on fate | Cons: slow deliberate pace; can feel boring; self-absorbed vibe

Themes

  • future
  • flashback
  • magic realism
  • childhood
  • unreliable narrator
  • switched at birth

Awards & recognition

  • European Film Award — Best Cinematographer · 1991
  • European Film Award — Best Actor · 1991
  • European Film Award — Best Screenwriter · 1991
  • Young European Film of the Year · 1991
  • César Award — Best Foreign Film
Show all 9 awards →
  • International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1992 · nominated
  • European Film Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1991 · nominated
  • European Film Award — Best Actor · 1991 · nominated
  • Young European Film of the Year · 1991 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Jaco Van Dormael