Life is Beautiful Review

by "Ryan Ellis" (iluvmick AT hotmail DOT com)
February 25th, 1999

A REVIEW OF "LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL"
by Ryan Ellis

give me a buzz on the ol' e-lines, [email protected]
As Charlie Chaplin's classic "City Lights" told us, smile though your heart is breaking, smile even though it's aching. And if you can entertain your kid while you're at it, all the better. Roberto Benigni's Italian film of a man's love for his family is up for some of the high-profile Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, etc.), but it's just a notch below the competition. The brilliance and star-power of both "Saving Private Ryan" and "Shakespeare In Love" will probably relegate "Life Is Beautiful" to winning lesser, yet still significant, awards (Best Foreign Language Film, for example.)

As writer, director, and charismatic star of this Italian comedy/drama, Benigni has created a remarkable character who never loses sight of what's important to him. He's also written a multi-dimensional script that takes us on an unexpected journey through war-torn Europe during World War II. The first half of the film is almost entirely comedy as Guido Orefice (Benigni) meets his dream woman, Dora (Nicoletta Brashci), and keeps running into her on purpose. Also working as a waiter, the aspiring bookshop owner makes plenty of friends with his wit and plenty of enemies with his irreverance.

The second half of the film takes a mild turn toward drama, but, as I said, it doesn't lose its way. Guido and Dora consummate their love and flash-forward to a few years later when young Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini) is born. After years of marital happiness, Dora returns home one day to find that Guido, his uncle (Giustino Durano), and Giosue have been captured and imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. She asks the Nazis to take her, too. Although the family can't be together (she's kept in a separate women's camp), they don't lose hope that they'll be together again.

The boy doesn't understand why they've been thrown into such a place, so to keep him from panicking or even being gassed to death (as children were in the camps), Guido makes it into a game. He tells Giosue that they will be given a real tank if they win the game. He makes up rules that will keep the kid safe if he follows them. His antics are funny and the adorable boy falls for it, thinking he and his father will win first prize if they accumulate 1000 points. Ah, ignorance is bliss. If only everyone who'd been placed in those horrible concentration camps could have kept such a hopeful heart...

Man, it's hard to write about the holocaust. Such a hateful display of politics and inhumanity is awful to imagine and difficult to write about even in 1999. However, Benigni doesn't allow his audience to brood over the horrors of WWII too long. He keeps our spirits up when he entertains his son. I can't remember smiling and feeling so terrible simultaneously in quite this way before. I was both the boy AND his father during the final hour of the film. I was scared for their lives and giggling at the whoppers he would tell his son to keep him from knowing the hideous truth. If all parents lied to their kids for such good, loving reasons, maybe the global crime rates wouldn't be so brutally high. Yes, I'm preaching, but parents can learn something from this film about raising their kids under the worst possible strain. So the Jeep stalls on the way to violin lessons, tough noogies! It's easier than dragging anvils around all day and then struggling to convince your son that the worst thing that could happen is they won't win this supposed game. Sorry, no more preaching...

Benigni is a naturally gifted artist. He occasionally evokes the immortal Charlie Chaplin, which may be high praise, but it's worthy praise. As director, he uses his supporting cast extremely well, allowing many of their paths to cross in poignant or humourous ways. As lead actor, he is excellent, but will be hard-pressed to pry the Oscar away from Ian McKellan or Nick Nolte. Still, his character is as well-developed as those and he's more likable.

The film's conclusion is not spectacular or unexpected, but it's quite emotional all the same. These characters are simple and real and we fall in love with them. The film builds up and becomes more enthralling as time ticks by. It's not quite perfect, but "Life is Beautiful" is a unique piece of story-telling. Once they draw you in, not even having to read subtitles seems to be a chore. After all, if Guido can smile though his heart is breaking, so can we.

USELESS TRIVIA--I'd like to have some, but I have no useless trivia for this heart-felt movie.

This film gets a 9/10.

THE RYAN RATING SYSTEM SAYS...
10/10--absolutely outstanding
9/10--excellent
8/10--pretty darn good
7/10--sure, go on and give it a peek
6/10--so-so; ye ol' recommendation point
5/10--not quite worth the dollars
4/10--only if you have a free pass
3/10--don't go, PLEASE don't go
2/10--avoid even if you DO have a free pass
1/10--"Showgirls" territory; truly crappy
0/10--bang your head off a wall instead

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