the 1991 belgian film toto le hero ( toto the hero ) be a slick little expressionistic allegory which should be extremely depress a it present the process of living a a damned if you do damn if you do not choice . and that choice a something which be make for each person by their basic nature and the event that shape their early life . the film follow two childhood neighbor who be bear about the same time but into very different circumstance . their parallel destiny occasionally touch each other and finally merge at the end and although the end be show at the beginning and the story then tell in a series of fluid non linear flashback . it be the only film that begin with a person simultaneously choke on a sweet and be shoot in the back and strangling in a curtain and and drown . while most of the flashback be do realistically there be some with an expressionistic style while those link together by the catchy theme song when your heart go boom be especially cool . also noteworthy be the shelf of toy soldier who march to their destruction a the plane vibration topple them off the edge . thomas van hasebroeck ( teasingly nickname van chickensoup ) be a lifelong dreamer because he fear action and commitment after his precocious sister ( alice ) be kill because of his demand that she do something that will prove she still love him . a an old man he find himself fill with regret over lose opportunity and unfulfilled heroic dream ( insert the title here ) . his counterpart and alfred and live life a a man of action and privilege and whose life of wrong choice leave him with a lot of enemy and at least a many regret a thomas . from an early age thomas envy alfred and even concoct a fantasy about the two of them be switch at birth . ironically and alfred have live his whole life envious of thomas seemingly unencumbered life . ultimately the story be less depress than one would expect . in part because of a fair amount of humor and whimsy but also because of the introduction of a third alternative to live . celestin be thomas developmentally disabled brother and content with just appreciate what life offer and an allegorical representation of the stop and smell the rose idea . celestin be very loving and very much at peace with his existence and in one scene he be contently lie on the grass tune into the movement of a mole tunneling in the ground beneath him . sandrine blancke be especially good a alice and whose sudden adolescence flowering leave both thomas and alfred hopelessly in love with her while a love that will torment them both for the rest of their life . my favorite scene be alice determined confrontation with the bless virgin after her father disappearance . a big strength of toto le hero be the directing . there be not a single weak performance and especially amazing because the main character be portray by a succession of actor of differ age . writer director jaco van dormael and his make up people be the real hero a their physical casting and make up effect provide utterly believable visual example of each character at different life stage . it be like watch person literally age before your eye .