The Legend of 1900

Told in flashbacks by a flat-broke trumpet player named Max (Pruitt Taylor Vince), The Legend of 1900 spins a fanciful fable about an abandoned infant found aboard a turn-of-the-century cruise ship. Capriciously named “1900” for the year he was born, the baby boy grows up to become a piano virtuoso, entertaining passengers aboard the seafaring birthplace he never leaves. Tim Roth hits the right notes as the adult 1900, who makes fast friends with fellow musician Max, but director Guiseppe Tornatore, who deftly navigated sentimental waters in Cinema Paradiso, wallows in cloying nostalgia here. Still, for its occasional enchantments, plus another fine period score by Ennio Morricone, this is a strong optional purchase. (T. Rich)