Rating: 
Summary: A miracle in modern cinema
Review: Maybe I'm losing it, but this film inspired me to go outside and be helpful to EVERYONE I meet or know. It may sound cheesy to people who have not seen this movie, but pick one person out of a group who has seen this movie, and he or she's attitude to life would have changed, they might not admit it, but their life would have changed, if only a little bit. How many films could be powerful enough to influence this? Think back and count. There have been masterpieces in the past, but film, I believe, was not created to be mastered or perfected, but to affect others, to change attitudes. This film is a real example of that. I'm sure you all know the simple story, so see this film if you haven't seen it, see it again if you have, don't let the hype and people's occasionally misleading opinions ruin it for you.
Rating: 
Summary: My Two Cents In the Mix
Review: Let's talk about the quality of the DVD itself - very good on most aspects of sound and picture quality. This was one of the first movies I played on my Dolby Digital sound system and was quite impressed with the technical quality of this DVD which unfortunately is not always the case with 'foreign' language productions. The English dubbing is best avoided and should only be used if you tire of reading the subtitles. As to the movie itself, cannot say much that has not already been said - after all 232 reviews at the time of writing! All I will add is Benigni is a genius for coming up with a very visually pleasant concoction (the lights, shadows and colors in the movie are excellent) of everything that is politically correct, fashionable, maudlin, and marketable - and making it palatable to a xenophobic Hollywood generation. Arezzo and Tuscany, a little boy to melt your heart, romance and rain and steam rising from cobblestone streets, Jim Carrey-isque like capers and WW II atrocities are just some of the ingredients in the mixture. Nothing ever really jells or flows. A little emotional tickle results with the little boy tugging at your heartstrings. The scenes in the internment camp are sometimes so ludicrous, improbable and so wild, you have the gas chamber sequences to remind you 'Hey! We are dealing with a serious situation here!' The backdrop of the Holocaust is an intriguing choice. I personally prefer serious treatment of such sensitive topics - where comedy finds expression, if any, in the fortitude and wisdom of the characters experiencing the pain. A powerful script and a strong acting performance should convey these transient and conflicting emotions - w/o using painful visual inserts (almost as afterthoughts) from the Holocaust. The script is undecided between comedy and severity and Benigni as an actor fails to convey the duality of the fabricated existence. Benigni instead holds the audience hostage - with a poor attempt at comedy spread on a canvas of the Holocaust and making us feel a mixed bag of emotions. Him being shot is a poor attempt at salvaging what is obviously a very predictable ending. I expected him to pop up from behind the bushes with that silly grin on his face. In conclusion, it was an intriguing and novel attempt at recording a time and place in history - and that is where lies the value of this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: It was alright
Review: This movie was alright, but it is by no means as good as everyone says it is. I didn't think it was funny at all, and it was unrealistic. I mean, in the real holocaust, little kids knew they were in an awful place. There is no way that one of them would thought it was just a "game". The movie made the holocaust seem like nothing. I mean, if a Nazi was gonna shoot a prisoner, he would just do it, he wouldn't take the guy to a deserted corner to do it, like they did with this movie. If you wanna see a funny movie, watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If you wanna see a REALLY good movie, go see The Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia, Spartucus, To Kill a Mockingbird, Shadow of Dought, Ran(or any other film by Akira Kurosawa or whatever his name was)etc., etc.
Rating:
Summary: tragic beauty
Review: La Vita e Bella, once an arthouse release, and now a mainstream success due to the many acadamy awards of last year, is the most IMPORTANT film I have ever seen. To view it in its dubbed-into-english version is an sinsult to all involved, so ensure you get the subtitled italian original. a film that starts out as a light comedy with enchanting lines ensured to become a classic ('bongiorno principessa!') and gradually grows darker and deeper until its deeply moving, tragic and yet stikingly beautiful conclusion. it is honestly the only film that ever changed me, made me want to be a better person. as trite as it sounds, it is honest. breathtaking. perfect. amusing. tragic. bella. i adored it. if you can't afford it, at least rent it. you will be changed.
Rating:
Summary: "LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL"..AFTER WATCHING THIS!
Review: I'm a very big foreign movies fan. My personal favorites are Bergman,Fellini,Truffaut,and Kurosawa. The idea that many people HATE foreign movies based on the fact that they are FOREIGN and therefore have to read subtitles is,to be perfectly frank..dumb! I don't mean to sound dogmatic in any way,but it is. This is a great movie and the fact that people haven't seen it because it's foreign is dumb. Having said that another thing that bothers me is that there are people who look at this movie in the wrong point of view. There're saying that Benigni should not of taken upon this subject in the attitude in which he did. ALL WRONG! This movie doesn't make a mockery of WW2. On the contrary! The movie does in fact show the harsh realities that happened during the war! The ending of the film demonstrates that. I don't want to give it away. I'm trying to get people to buy or at least rent it. A great piece of film making. To be prefectly honest I didn't think a movie like this could be made in today's day and age. It's a very simple story and very entertaining. WATCH IT AND SEE!
Rating:
Summary: Even For Those Who Hate Subtitles
Review: Recently I have discovered foreign films. I used to avoid them due to the subtitles, but thanks to Roberto I have been excited to continue. This film is better than most of the films that went up with it for Best Picture. For those of you who do not enjoy subtitles, Hollywood Video has a dubbed version that makes it avaible for everyone. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: stirring
Review: Many fathers could weather the horrific storm that guido does with his son in tow. But how many fathers could make a game of the terrible reality of the death camps. Shielding the ones he loves from the terror all around them. Guido is brave and funny. The film was hilarious,romatic,sad and uplifting all at once. A must have for your video collection
Rating:
Summary: An unabashed, unbiased recommendation
Review: We rented this movie on a whim - no preconceived ideas, hadn't seen a single trailer. We have no idea who Mr. Benigni is. No bias whatsoever. And we loved it. It's wonderful to know that somebody can come up with a moving story about a horrible time without having to (attempt to) recreate all the gory details. We've seen what's left of the real thing at Dachau and Auschwitz. The film actually would not work without knowing the reality of the war and the Holocaust, because you wouldn't get the full meaning of what the father is trying to do for his son. It's the complete lack of "reality" that really makes this work from the perspective of the storyteller - the young son. Added plusses are no bad language and no bedroom scenes. A definite buy.
Rating:
Summary: This clown got two oscars for this?
Review: Bad acting, mundane script and beautiful cinematography should not be so rewarded. He beat out Nolte in 'Affliction' - give me a break. Guess if Roberto does not give the missus a job she is not working. Neither funny enough or harrowing. There are plenty of good movies out there. Go see them!
Rating:
Summary: "Bella"
Review: Ok, I've seen this movie only twice. Once in the theatres (subtitled) and on video (dubbed). For anyone that wants to know, this movie is far easier to watched subtitled. The dubbed version takes away the passion and the reality of the actors' words. But whatever, that's just my opinion. Annnnnyway... oh yeah. I gave it 5 stars like every one else. But really. What's there NOT to love about Roberto Beningi? He's obviously a Chaplin fan, maybe as far as copycat, but he's still a genius. I don't think just anyone can pull off making the Holocaust into a comedy without offending anyone. Every once in a while in this movie you think to yourself, "ok, now he's going to over do it." Really. Making a joke out of incinerating the Jews? You've got to have some kind of doubt in your mind at that point. But then he goes back to the reality of the situation (of course when his son is not around to hear), therefore acknowledging that the Holocaust was (or is, in the movie) a very real and horrifying event. I think I (even though I am not Jewish) would be offended by this movie if it was presented any other way. It's also a great story of love and sacrifice. 'Guido' gives his life to protect his son and his wife. He is never thinking of himself, but always the ones he loves. That's what makes this story so "Beautiful". I've said this already, but I'll say it again. Roberto is a genius.
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