Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  I think you have to give this film credit just for having the guts to address a heavy subject like the Holocaust in the manner done here, which is predominately with a lighthearted tone. That's a big risk, but it mostly pays off here. Basically the movie is about a man who… More
  I think you have to give this film credit just for having the guts to address a heavy subject like the Holocaust in the manner done here, which is predominately with a lighthearted tone. That's a big risk, but it mostly pays off here. Basically the movie is about a man who tries to shelter his son from the ugliness of the world. Guido has a Jewish background, and when he and his son are sent to a concentration camp, he does his best (really going to elaborate lengths at times) to keep his son from finding out the brutal truth of their situation. He mostly does this by telling him they are playing a game. This really could have gone badly, but it doesn't. Benigni (as actor and director) uses just the right touch to pull this delicate balancing act off. The film is admittedly rather uneven (especially when it really starts to get heavy and dark near the end), but I think the approach here is an interesting one to take when trying to educate kids about such a dark era. Benigni does give an excellent performance in the lead, and it's almost as memorable as his acceptance speech for when he got the Oscar for his work here. The other performances are also really good, but this is definitely Benigni's show. The film has great technical stuff, is pretty funny at times, and also very heartwarming/wrenching when necessary. Definitely a challenging film, and not without its flaws, but it is thought provoking, and something I highly recommend.

• Universal D

  
  The film's highlight is one man's battle to keep the ugliness of the world from his innocent son, no matter how ugly the world might be, and in this case that means the death camps of the Nazis. Leaning heavily on the silent film comedies of the 20's, physical comedian… More
  The film's highlight is one man's battle to keep the ugliness of the world from his innocent son, no matter how ugly the world might be, and in this case that means the death camps of the Nazis. Leaning heavily on the silent film comedies of the 20's, physical comedian Benigni is achingly sincere, sometimes to the good, sometimes to the bad, nonetheless one is left with an important consideration: who's version of events are most important? He contends, like few before, that if we make our own reality, then isn't it better to be smiling?

• paul o

  
  Saying perfect really sets a bar for a film. For Life is Beautiful, there truly is a perfect blend of happiness and sadness in the span of 2 hours. The story is delicate and gentle, never burdening the audience with the tragedies of WWII. A masterpiece and incredibly powerful.

• Albert K

  
  Really long time ago that I've seen this, but I remember the powerful ending and how impacting it was.

• Jack H

  
  I entered 'Life Is Beautiful' not really knowing what to expect, I certainly didn't anticipate a part slapstick comedy. The film charts Guido's romantic pursuit of Dora, their married life and birth of their son, and finally their removal from Italy into an… More
  I entered 'Life Is Beautiful' not really knowing what to expect, I certainly didn't anticipate a part slapstick comedy. The film charts Guido's romantic pursuit of Dora, their married life and birth of their son, and finally their removal from Italy into an extermination camp by Nazis. The initial phase of the story is quite pleasant and sometimes funny, it has numerous running gags all concerning Guido, most of which he uses spontaneously to impress and bemuse his love interest Dora. Guido is an affable, happy-go-lucky character, his spontaneous charm works well overall, especially in a scene where he manipulates an important guest's choice of dinner and in another where he comically translates a rather ominous looking Nazi. However, he can become exhausting, he becomes somewhat brash considering his surroundings in the latter half of the film. This brings me on to the depiction of the Holocaust. Guido's escapades within the camp are completely implausible and rather stupid, he sneaks around being his effervescent self whilst every adult viewer knows he would've been shot on sight within minutes in reality. The film doesn't offer hope due to the sheer implausibility of it all, all it achieves really is trivialising the Holocaust. This film is rather like the term 'Ethnic Cleansing', it doesn't work because it's impossible and perhaps insulting to try and euphemise genocide. I'm not sure who the film's target audience is, is it a children's film? That is the only way I could perhaps see it working, as a method of introducing a young mind to the ghastliness of the holocaust. But there is a problem with this, too, the film doesn't even begin to depict the evil and horrors of the holocaust, instead they get an unrealistic and rather maudlin tale of 'spirit' and 'hope'.

• Alexander D

  
  You know when you're about to watch a film with a title like that, you have to expect something optimistic. Optimism could be all right as a perspective to use for dealing with the Holocaust. The main struggle with LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (or La vita è bella as it is known in its… More
  You know when you're about to watch a film with a title like that, you have to expect something optimistic. Optimism could be all right as a perspective to use for dealing with the Holocaust. The main struggle with LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (or La vita è bella as it is known in its originating nation of Italy) is that it does not seem to care for taking itself seriously. What's worse, this is the case throughout the film. It's mostly fun and games in the film's first act. This entails Guido meeting his wife, falling in love with her, and eventually marrying her. Rarely is there a remark of antisemitism when the story unfolds, so we can laugh when the script doesn't want to take itself seriously. Then comes the second act, when Guido and his son go to the concentration camp. Ironically, that's where all the humor seems horrible. This humor would fit great in another, less heavy scenario, but when it's placed here, you laugh and feel like an antisemitic bigot. The script expects us to laugh during a mad party riot, where one misplaced man is frozen still in the position of a Nazi salute. It expects us to guffaw when a man tells his son that the concentration camp they are traveling to is a game, in which you win if you are the first to get to 1,000 points. It even expects us to find it cute when a man prances off camera while held at gunpoint. I'll admit, there were some genuinely heartfelt moments this film had to offer. But as they built up on some of the grief the film needed to convey, there was usually a point at which lighthearted humor ruined the impact that could have been done. http://themoviefreakblog.com/review-life-is-beautiful

• Raymond W

  
  Roberto Bernigni is fantastic in Life is Beautiful as Guido, a father who goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son (played superbly by Giorgio Cantarini) from understanding the truth about their situation in Italy under German rule at the start of WWII. In the beginning, I could… More
  Roberto Bernigni is fantastic in Life is Beautiful as Guido, a father who goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son (played superbly by Giorgio Cantarini) from understanding the truth about their situation in Italy under German rule at the start of WWII. In the beginning, I could understand that Guido was a bit of an eccentric character, and it would have worked if the film had stayed as an outrageous and hilarious comedy, but as soon as the war started, the film did a u-turn in terms of tone and genre. It's jarring, disrupts the story's flow, and even though the performances stayed consistent, that was one thing that really bugged me; Benigni's performance. That's not to say it wasn't great, because it was. His eccentricity started to annoy me once the film turned into a war drama, and I always felt that Nicoletta Braschi wasn't acting enough or something. She needed to show more emotion on her regularly blank face. Maybe I'm just being really picky.... Overall, the ending was touching, and the imaginary story woven throughout was cute and touching as well; and no doubt, Roberto Benigni is an exceptional actor.

• Emil K

  
  How annoying can Roberto Beningi be and how in the world they let him do these god awful shitty films. Benigni has truly problems with his ego. He is also one the worst actor/directors of our times. Just awful piece of crap.

• Bentley L

  
  Life is Beautiful is a truly beautiful film. The acting, writing, story, pacing, and score, are absolutely perfect. The 80% Tomatometer just saddens me. Who doesen't like it? If you haven't seen this picture, I strongly reccomend you go out and rent it. In case you just… More
  Life is Beautiful is a truly beautiful film. The acting, writing, story, pacing, and score, are absolutely perfect. The 80% Tomatometer just saddens me. Who doesen't like it? If you haven't seen this picture, I strongly reccomend you go out and rent it. In case you just stumbled upon my profile, I like to give a little plot synopsis on the film I am reviewing. Life is Beautiful is a movie you just have to see for yourself in order to know what it's about. The film is rated PG-13 but don't bother reading the reason why it is given that rating because it gives away some of the plot. Dont' even bother going on the IMDB or Wikipedia pages for the film. It's about a man named Guido (played by the enjoyable Roberto Benigni) who has a great job and family. His relationship with his family is strong. One day, he and his son, Giosue, land in one of the most dangerous and deadliest places on Earth. Guido makes the experience of being in this specific place less terrifying for his child by playing a game with him. If they follow the instructions, he will win a prize. Life is Beautiful is one of the most original movies I have ever seen. It's blend of heartwarming comedy and intense drama doesen't fail. The script is witty and smart and the comedic timing is brilliant. I also enjoyed the pacing and story development. Speaking of the pacing, there are some scenes that are brilliantly set up. They start off intense and then become comedic or vice versa. The strongest part of the film in my opinion is the performances. Roberto Benigni is perfect in his role as Guido. You can easily tell he based his performance on Charlie Chaplin. He is very witty and fun to watch and deserved the Best Actor Oscar he got. Giorgio Cartarini is one of the best child actors I have ever seen. I loved hin as Giosue. Nicoletta Braschi was very good as Guido's wife whose named after the explorer, Dora. The cast is excellent. No sucky performances are present. The film quickly shits from a comedy to dramedy. The comedy and drama are equally excellent. They don't interfere with each other. As I was watching this film I thought to myself, "Why can't Hollywood make movies like this?" For every good movie out there, there is a bad one. It's like Yin and Yang. The film left me in awe and made mt forget of all the bad movies I've seen. If Marc L., Gordon Franklin Terry Sr., and Cody Fairless-Lee are reading this, you better change your taste quickly. Hollywood, please make more good movies like this again. I think the American film industry can look up to foreign films for help. You'll laugh than bawl. Writer-director-actor, Roberto Benigni has created one of the best movies I have ever seen. It's funny, sad, intense, artistic, well constructed, and beautiful. I tend to avoic counting up plot holes in mistakes when I watch films so I consider the film to be basically flawless. Life is Beautiful is a must see. "Pigeons fly, women fall from the sky! I'm moving here!"

• Jan Marc M

  
  Life Is Beautiful tells of a story of an imaginary optimism and sacrifice of a father to save his son's dying innocence set during their internment in a World War II Nazi concentration camp. Emotionally powerful. Very beautiful and rare rendition of a tragedy that can make one… More
  Life Is Beautiful tells of a story of an imaginary optimism and sacrifice of a father to save his son's dying innocence set during their internment in a World War II Nazi concentration camp. Emotionally powerful. Very beautiful and rare rendition of a tragedy that can make one laugh hysterically and cry uncontrollably at the same time.

• Jameson W

  
  Great film with a lovely story. While first watching this movie, I didn't like it that much. The beginning is very humorous, but many times it crosses over into the very unappealing area of sillyness. In particular, Roberto Benigni's performance. For the most part he's… More
  Great film with a lovely story. While first watching this movie, I didn't like it that much. The beginning is very humorous, but many times it crosses over into the very unappealing area of sillyness. In particular, Roberto Benigni's performance. For the most part he's brilliant and quirky, but he can also come across as annoying and over-the-top. It works sometimes but it doesn't in others. However, as the plot develops further and the tones shifts halfway through the film, his performance becomes a very touching one. The performance has to be the way it was. Without the performance there would be no film. The relationship and significance of him and his son would be lost. The first hour is not that great, but the second half is simply brilliant. Absolutely fantastic ending! Check it out!

• Daniel P

  
  A film I had long been wanting to watch, wow am I glad I did. In the early going, it takes its stylistic cues from Blake Edwards, et al., a glossy and beautiful comic love story that evokes a sort of Italian Charlie Chaplin and carries on just long enough for you to say "Okay,… More
  A film I had long been wanting to watch, wow am I glad I did. In the early going, it takes its stylistic cues from Blake Edwards, et al., a glossy and beautiful comic love story that evokes a sort of Italian Charlie Chaplin and carries on just long enough for you to say "Okay, when will it fall apart, now?" In the second half, we get a more Spielberg-meets-Bicycle Thieves aesthetic, complete with innocent and skillful child acting and neo-realist shaky cam, and though the film falls a little into Schindler's List territory, it's magical in its way, documenting the amazing dedication of a father to his son, even at arguably the lowest point in human history (the Nazi death camps). The story is spellbinding, the conclusion packs a wallop, and Roberto Benigni is masterful. A classic film that's not to missed - it already feels like it's been in the canon for decades!

• Jens S

  
  Benigni's unique and really unusual take on the gruesome events in World War 2 concentration camps is drama and comedy at the same time, celebrating the beauty of life while showing the horrors of Jewish fates. The first half is one of the sweetest romantic comedies Europe ever… More
  Benigni's unique and really unusual take on the gruesome events in World War 2 concentration camps is drama and comedy at the same time, celebrating the beauty of life while showing the horrors of Jewish fates. The first half is one of the sweetest romantic comedies Europe ever produced, but the hints at what's about to happen are already there in fascist Italy. The second half with the story of how Guido is trying to tell his son that concentration camp is just a big game, to keep him from realizing the horrors, is still full of (bitter) humor and extremely gut wrenching. The ending is accordingly bitter sweet but thankfully not entirely hopeless. A huge sacrifice has been made, but at least it was worth it. One of the strongest European films ever.

• Thomas J

  
  Roberto Benigni's character Guido Orefice is more annoying to me than heroic or inspiring. The story is sweet in-spite of the annoyance and to see a Holocaust story with a different perspective was nice. But it is an over-rated movie.

• Spencer S

  
  This film is beyond belief. Everyone lauds this film for finding comedy in such a tragic event, but you have to look at it from more than the amazed point of view and adjust yourself to the sheer brilliance. Deserved all the acclaim and awards it received.

• Jeremy S

  
  One of the saddest, moving, masterpiece films I have ever seen. Once watched it will be locked in your memory forever holding the key, awaiting your return. Winner of my Top foreign language film.

• KJ P

  
  Did I just really watch that? That has got to be one of the best stories I have ever watched. It should have been more than just nominated for best picture, it should have won. The acting is fantastic, and the situations are amazing. I love how they get to the holocaust and the kid… More
  Did I just really watch that? That has got to be one of the best stories I have ever watched. It should have been more than just nominated for best picture, it should have won. The acting is fantastic, and the situations are amazing. I love how they get to the holocaust and the kid doesn't even know. Yes, the end is sad, but it then get's happy again. This is one truely amazing classic!

• Wildaly M

  
  Mi sembravo un po' fantasiosa ma alla fine mi sono emozionata.

• Anthony L

  
  This is one of the most beautiful and touching films ever made. It takes true talent to combine both great comedy and terrible tragedy. Roberto Benigni is brilliant as Guido and as the film?s director. I loved how he accepted his award for best film at the Oscars, it makes me laugh… More
  This is one of the most beautiful and touching films ever made. It takes true talent to combine both great comedy and terrible tragedy. Roberto Benigni is brilliant as Guido and as the film?s director. I loved how he accepted his award for best film at the Oscars, it makes me laugh just thinking about it. Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant!

• Eliza N

  
  Some people say there's nothing I can do , some others say what is done is done but some people protect the ones who they care for,no matter how hard it is ,because the only thing they use is love!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings