Life is Beautiful (1997)

Director: Roberto Benigni

Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini

When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor, and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

‘Life is Beautiful’ is a heart wrenching drama disguised as a comedy. Wow, this was awesome!

Roberto Begnini is excellent as Guido, the most lovable con artist you will ever meet. The film uses interesting and unique dialogue that is actually really funny. At times Roberto comes across as the Italian version of Mr Bean. He simply is excellent.

The first half of the film sets up Guido’s character and the people he cares about, and its so easy to love them. Around the halfway mark, the film takes an unexpected, dramatic turn. Despite the deep and sad theme, they manage to keep the film lighthearted thanks to Guido’s attempts to fool his son into thinking the harsh reality is actually part of a game. To my knowledge, this is the first ever for a film to take this approach on serious matters like war and the horrors against Jews. One could argue that it is no laughing matter, but I believe this was not their intention. It simply is a dreary situation viewed through the eyes of a happy-go-lucky dad trying to protect his son, and trying to remain calm regardless of the odds.

By the time the film reaches the final moments, it is truly heart wrenching. I never thought a comedy could be this heartbreaking! You simply have to see it to believe it. (Similar to the Korean film ‘Miracle in Cell No. 7). This is a gem of a movie!

‘Life is Beautiful’ is one of the top rated films, and was a huge box office success. It earned an amazing $230 million on a $20 million budget. It won three Oscars (Best Actor, Best Music, Best Foreign Language Film), won a further 70 awards with another 51 nominations. Roberto Begnini won several awards for his portrayal of Guido, and as Director.

In Italian.

Would I watch it again? Yes.