Leolo (1992)

I've known about this French-Canadian film for a long time but watching it has managed to elude me; I've previously seen most of it dubbed into German and while I was impressed with the images, I didn't have the foggiest idea what was going on.  It's not yet on DVD here but I did locate a pretty grotty VHS rental copy to satisfy me for the time being.  It's one of those movies that could alienate many viewers since it mixes scenes of surreal beauty with some very ugly action.  The story is told from the point of view of the younger son of an extremely dysfunctional family prone to congenital mental illness and living in the slums of Montreal.  He is convinced that he is really of Italian ancestry and that his mother was impregnated by an imported tomato (a scene once seen, never forgotten).  He is a gifted writer and in his imagination he can escape the ugly realities of his existence by seeing himself in the Sicilian valleys where he feels he belongs.  This film is so rich in what it offers the viewer -- I haven't begun to go into detail -- that it would reward multiple viewings.  Release the DVD now!!!