Life Is Beautiful

Rating:
Summary: difficult to review
Review: I must admit to being excited when the package containing this movie arrived. I did not enjoy this movie as much as I was expecting.

It may have been due to mismatched expectations, and this may be the cause.

One reviewer pointed out that this movie is meant for Italians, and that is why some people are unable to understand the cultural nuances of the on screen romance.

Perhaps this is so, or perhaps I am just getting too old.

Where I do think the movie has some merit was the handling of the second half and the concentration camp scenes. The Holocaust is a difficult subject to make any sort of a comedy about, however the point that "life is beautiful" or at least "can be beautiful if you choose" was made effectively.

Rating:
Summary: So much more than a "Holocaust" story...
Review: I was very moved by this movie, and I agree with another reviewer that it wasn't "exploitative". The Holocaust was the background.. the setting. The characters weren't backdrops to the story of the Holocaust, but rather the situation they were in simply emphasized the beauty within the main characters.

The lives of the characters were terribly affected by the Holocaust, of course, but the experience of the Holocaust did not MAKE the characters. It demonstrated their wonderful integrity, particularly in the characters played by Begninni and Braschi.

It is a refreshing look at the horrible experience of the Holocaust -- from the viewpoint of a person who DOES maintain his integrity and refuses to be beaten down, even to the moment of death. It was a story of the spirit winning over all attempts to destroy it.

I think it's important to not forget what happened, but the way this movie was put together was uplifting, too.

I don't normally watch movies that deal with real tragic material, because it can be just too upsetting to me, especially when children are involved. (I have six kids, and somehow this has altered my "sentimentality factor".) I can say that this movie is safe to watch! There is grief, but it's bearable, and I smiled at the end.

Definitely worth buying!

Rating:
Summary: if only i could put a rating of 10 stars for this movie...
Review: This show is simply a wonderful classic. It has become one of my favourite shows. Not only does the show involves humour, it teaches history in a unqiue manner. Begnini has effectively utilised dark humour to produce a tear-jerking movie. He is able to address the disturbing history in a fun and amusing way. The actors and actresses are superb where i remember very clearly the scene where begnini's wife cries and her tears looked so real. Not forgetting the really cute son of theirs who is so hopelessly gullible and yet so smart at the same time. The music is also very nice and lyrical at times, making it a brillliant movie where music cannot be absent. I really recommend it as it has really left a very deep impression in me. Begnini Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: This is a great life lesson.
Review: This film is GORGEOUS!!! It's brimming with so much faith that it drowns out all my energy-depleting negative elements! It's so alive, it never wallows in self pity, and the sun is always out there, shining bright! The Italians have a sterling sense of humor, the whole set-up is just beautiful, and all of its small mechanisms run oh-so-perfectly. Roberto Benigni is excellent, and Joshua is such a lovely little boy... I cried out of unrestrained laughter and then slowly, the sadness that consumes me...We all have a thing or two to learn from Benigni's character. This is actually one movie that deserves all of its accolades...where have movies like this gone to???

Rating:
Summary: Making Beauty out of Ugliness
Review: This film follows a father as he and his son are thrown into a concentration camp in world war two. Roberto Benigni plays the father and turns this horrible situation into a comedic and laughable treat. It is a very innovative movie, I think the first one shedding light on how horribly disturbing the Holocaust was, and how some people must have coped with it while in the camps. The cinematogrophy is beautiful.

Rating:
Summary: Also wonderful is "The Monster" starring Roberto Benigni
Review: This movie recalls Europe at its peak and the holocaust, and pulls at our heartstrings with humor, love, fear, happiness, and sadness. Emotionally Gripping.

People who enjoy this movie should DEFINITELY also buy "The Monster" (also known as "Monstrous") by Benigni, where he stars as an unemployed man with a love interest who by a series of missteps is mistaken for a jack-the-ripper serial killer in his city.

After seeing several Benigni Movies, I now laugh uncontrollably and immediately if he shows up in ANY MOVIE SCENE IN ANY MOVIE. That's how powerfully funny and talented this guy is !!

Rating:
Summary: Emotion Potion
Review: I had heard of this movie when it came out. I had even heard people recommending the movie but I wasn't interested. An Italian movie that isn't mob related? What a rip off. But one down day I was curious and needed something "beautiful." I rented the movie with no idea of the plot. Like everyone else I laughed through the first half and was completely caught off guard when the family ended up in the concentration camp. Unlike Hollywood movies I was not able to predict what was happening. I sat on the edge of my seat, held my breath, laughed some more and cried. I wanted to turn it off but couldn't. At the end I was a bundle of emotions, I hated the movie and remained that way until I watched it a second time. I hated the movie because of all the emotions it caused in me. I can't remember the last movie that did that. Then I realized that the movie was about a dad and his love. Mostly his love for his son. And his son's love for him and his wife's love for her husband and son. But more than anything the father and son. If this man was able to respect and maintain the innocence of his son in the tragedy of the holocost (which I understand could not have really happened but its just a movie folks)then imagine how we can fare with our children outside of a holocost? This is a great movie for anyone who has children, works with children or was a child. *Watch it with someone you feel comfortable hugging.*

Rating:
Summary: Don't delay-watch this film today!
Review: If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for?! "Life is Beautiful" is a heartwarming, emotional, uplifting story that will leave you in awe of Roberto Beningni's powerful acting and directing. I've heard it called a "chick flick"--what an inaccurated description. My 30-year old, muscle-bound husband even got choked up. He recommends this film to everyone and so do I. Don't worry about the subtitles; the message of this movie is so powerful, we forgot we were even reading. Don't delay, buy or rent this film today!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I teach a freshman level class at my university and one day we were doing a unit on diversity and decided to watch a movie. When I picked out this one, they were all grumbling because of the subtitles. Let me just say that this movie ran half an hour past class and EACH one of my students stayed to see the end. MOst of us were in tears by the end. The story about the human spirit and what the father did to protect his child is sooo moving. I admit, the beginning starts out kind of...different, but once you get into it, it is absolutley one of the best movies of all time.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies, hands down
Review: There aren't words good enough to describe the wonder of this movie. Funny, very very touching, heartwarming... I recommend watching it with the subtitles instead of the dubbed version; you honestly forget you're listening to Italian and just get caught up in the beauty of it. (In fact, it was slightly jarring to hear the American soldier at the end speak in English; the Italian is so beautiful.) Benigni is a brilliant actor and very, very funny at points... I only wish I had bought it sooner. :)