"It is, in a word, exquisite."
— Rita Kempley, Washington Post
"Anyone who loves movies is likely to love Cinema Paradiso."
— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"Cinema Paradiso converts you to the credo that art can indeed be holy."
— Jay Scott, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"Still rapturous after all these years, Cinema Paradiso stands as one of the great films about movie love."
— Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
"This film is sometimes funny, sometimes joyful, and sometimes poignant, but it's always warm, wonderful, and satisfying."
— James Berardinelli, ReelViews
"It's a shining valentine to the movies--full of homages, collages and swooningly romantic Ennio Morricone music--and it gets right at the messy, impure, wondrous way they capture and enrapture us."
— Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times
"You leave Cinema Paradiso with that feeling that's kind of like getting kicked in the stomach, but nice. It's one of those breathless, swept-away-by-a-movie experiences that you might have once a year, if you're lucky."
— Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle