Life Is Beautiful

Rating:
Summary: La vita e bella
Review: This movie truely explores the beauty of life. Don't be scared by having to read subtitles. The movie is truely uplifting.

Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS MOVIE
Review: This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It was very touching,although not altogether realistic.The music,actors and screenplay was excellent. This is my very favorite next to the "Sound of Music".

Rating:
Summary: La vita e bella
Review: My Dad had been constantly nagging my sister and I to see this movie, so we rented it and I'm eternally grateful to him for nagging the way he did.

Everything about this movie, the humour, the tragedy, the excellently captivated sense of passion is overwhelming. As a Jew, I thought Benigni's use of humour in such a subject as the Holocaust was tactful and sensitive. What touched me most, however, is Guido's passion for life itself. Even on the brink of war, he exudes feelings of sheer joy which display so strongly his talent for optimism under the bleakest of circumstances. The subtitles didn't bother me one bit, so PLEASE don't let them put you off- this film is truly magical. It certainly restored my faith in love. It's a treasure.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Let The Sub Titles Scare You Off!
Review: I was hesitant to get this movie.

Sub Titles scare me!

I was completley oblivious to them five minutes into the movie. This movie rocks! It captivated me from the get go.

It deserves all the accolades it got. The story is an outright inspiration.

The father and son relationship is pure gold. And the old saying, "You'll laugh, you'll cry...", is the absolute truth in this movie.

If you need a pick-me-up, forget "Chicken Soup For The Soul"! Just put this into your VCR and all of sudden life doesn't seem so bad after all.

As a matter of fact, life is beautiful!

Rating:
Summary: Life IS Beautiful
Review: After the movie ended, the audience didn't say a word, didn't move an inch. Just what did this? Was it the devastating contrast between comedy and tragedy (in this case it could be partly considered as a triumph)? Was it how palpable it was to touch the characters' lives, even though the comedy was "too unrealistic"? "Life is Beautiful" is a great film, a charming and poignant one at that, and an unconventional masterpiece. It probably is the best foreign picture of the year, and it stands as a hilariously haunting movie, one of a kind.

Rating:
Summary: Every day's a good day.
Review: Few people believed it would be possible to make a comedy set in the Nazi concentration camps of WWII. But in Life is Beautiful (aka: La Vita è bella), Roberto Benigni had a vision of one possible way to tell this tale of horror without dehumanising the lead characters. In fact, the whole film is full of contradictions and surprises.

There are two clear stages in the film. The first half concentrates on Guido Orefice's efforts to woo his chosen lady. He is funny, courageous and irrepressible in his attempts to win the heart and hand of the lovely Dora. Cunning strategies are used, that take advantage of all the quirks of Florence and its people to impress the woman he constantly greets with, "Buono giorno Principessa", (Good day Princess).

From early on, there is an undercurrent of anti-Semitism that casts a cloud over our anticipation of things to come. But for Guido, racism is simply another of life's obstacles; all he does is dodge around them in his pursuit of life. Pre-war Italy still manages to seem magical through his eyes and his attitude becomes infectious. We soon come to believe, along with Guido, that anything is possible and if you assume the best will happen, it probably will.

Dora's situation does not start out quite as rosy. She is betrothed to a boorish man who takes her for granted and seems more interested in his political status than in her happiness. Luckily, Guido has set his sights on making her life as interesting as possible. And that allows the audience the pleasure of rooting for the underdog; a semi-employed Jewish waiter with one sadly misshapen hat. Although she doesn't see a way out at first, we all know that Guido's optimism will eventually triumph over his straight-laced and narcissistic competitor.

Soon, the two star crossed lovers are married and joined by a precocious son by the name of Giosué, played superbly by the young actor, Giorgio Cantarini. He clearly takes after his father and is the apple of his parents' eyes. It would take a hard-hearted person to avoid loving this little angle; an angel who will go to any extreme to avoid his bath time. His other main concern seems to be getting enough time to play with his toy tank.

But love and optimism are unable to hold back the tide of history. Italy soon falls in with Germany and begins persecuting their Jewish population. On Giosué's forth birthday, while his mother is out, soldiers take he and his father. They are bundled into a truck and then a train, headed for the concentration camps. As soon as Dora realises what has happened, she follows them into the depths of hell.

Guido has other problems to occupy him. Although he doesn't know exactly what is going to happen, he knows enough to want to shield his son in the only way he can. While they are in the truck he concocts a story to convince Giosué that they are taking a surprise trip to celebrate his birthday. As their situation worsens, the fiction becomes more convoluted. Guido controls every aspect of his son's perception to convince him they are participating in a most challenging competition, with a full sized tank as the prize.

Despite the horror of the situation, death all around, brutal labour, starvation and dehumanising barracks, Guido focuses all his efforts on the happiness of his son. Not only does he succeed in protecting the young boy's fragile soul but it is clear he manages to distract himself as well. Guido epitomises selflessness. In the brief moments when he is not labouring for the Nazis or entertaining his son, he finds small ways to remind Dora that he loves her. I can't think of any more poignant moments in cinema.

In the end, Guido manages to accomplish what he had set out to do; protect his son. He manages it so well, that Giosuè is convinced he has won the tank that rolls into camp as the allied army arrives. His happiness contrasts strongly with the backdrop of death and brutality and we are drawn to celebrate Guido's achievement; impossible hope met unthinkable hatred and triumphed. What father could do more for his son?

Rating:
Summary: A series of amusing vignettes, starring¿
Review: This is not your typical feature film at all; it is rather a series of vignettes and by now most of the "free" world knows who is starring in it. It isn't that Roberto Benigni is such a poor choice to occupy centre stage; he is good enough and funny enough and so on. There is just too much of him, and no, he isn't that funny.

The "story" of the film is interesting enough when it eventually gets around to telling it. We may even allow ourselves to be taken in, to some extent, by the childish subterfuge which is used to protect the boy from the worst of the horrors surrounding him. But the end is oh, so predictable and I for one couldn't help wanting to take a peek around the corner to satisfy myself that Benigni wasn't about to leap back into life and take over the screen again. That may not be the right way to greet the understated savagery of the Nazis, but somehow justice was being served at the same time. Enter the Americans, reunion with mom... I mean - really! In my book, although I quite enjoyed it in parts, it's just a shade over-rated.

Rating:
Summary: Benigni the Italian Master!
Review: I love this film! Roberto plays an awesome roll. From the begining to end this guy keeps you in stitches! The love he has for his family in the film is rare in todays world. Just the little things in life become a big deal in his world. We could all learn a lesson from this film about real romance.. I like the fact that the film is in Italian and has sub titles. I'm still learning to speak Italian , so it's fun to interpet what there saying. This film has it all, I laughed and I cried near the end of the film, but I don't want to spoil the ending for you! Get this film today! Ciao..

Rating:
Summary: SEE IT WITH SUBTITLES, It can't be that hard to read!
Review: Dubbing this wonderful masterpiece is an injustice! If you can't read and watch the movie simultaneously, then take a little time to see it again! It's very very easy to read! Benigni is superb, the movie is both funny and suspenseful. And the gist is the relationship with his "family", it just happens to be in a horrific situation. But if you want absolute complete hysterical laughs see his "The Monster and Johnny Stecchino" Benigni is REAL TALENT!

And those negative naysayers who call him a clown, you are right, but he is funnier than any clown I have seen!

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: WOW! I finished watching this film thirty minutes ago, and I'm still crying... happy tears, not the other kind. This is the ONLY film I've seen that completely deserves all the praise given to it. If you don't like foreign films with subtitles, watch the dubbed version. After ten minutes I had grown accustomed to the subtitles-- a feat only a good movie can accomplish. So... no excuses! Watch this movie. Buy it. You'll want to see it more than once. I can't think of a better gift for Father's Day!