Toto le héros tells a nostalgic story about shortcoming and love in flashbacks, forwards and with a dash of surrealism. Moving fluidly back and forth in time and space, an embittered old man by the name of Toto, (Thomas Godett) reflecting on his life, contemplates the revenge of his bitter enemy, his lifetime adversary, the man who stole his existence. Thomas is the main character of Toto le héros, he is convinced that he was traded in error at birth with another baby, his neighbour Alfred Kant who is the existential thief of all things good. The film is divided into three times: Thomas as a child, as an adult and as an elderly person, told in a complex narrative by old Thomas, we get to see what would have been the alternative to his relatively boring life and how Alfred's happiness should actually be his, there is also a secret agent angle which is filmed presented so beautifully. This is a fascinating example of storytelling which is a mix of romance with mystery and I hesitate to go into much detail about the plot for fear of spoiling the surprise, but I will say this story stands distinctly apart from the linear narrative drab, predictable plots, and neat endings that we are so used to in American movies. An absolute must see, especially for classic film buffs.
Review of Toto the Hero
