First time I have seen this movie I was only 13 years old, but I have remembered this movie for years. Life is beautiful is unforgettable movie and first time, when I went to the rental movie store, I knew I just have to watch it again. At first I was little disappointed , when I could not find it, but of course I was looking in wrong section. Finally I found it between internationals movies. It made a big smile on my face , because I was excited to watch it again. At first I though the movie will be with English dubbing, but I was wrong again. It has only English subtitles. Yeah , I know some of us are lazy to read the subtitles through all movie, but please don't be. ..  Read the complete review

I recently completed a degree with the Open University and although I mainly studied the Social Sciences, the Open University gives you the relative freedom to chuck in a few random modules! I decided to study 2 x 9 month media courses and absolutely loved every single minute of them. One of the modules allowed that I would study the history of film over 6 essays and for one I must choose a French film and an Italian film and compare and contrast. I will have to admit that I am so stuck in my ways I was absolutely dreading this particular essays as I hate (or thought I did!) films with subtitles. How narrow minded was I?! When I finished watching what is now one of my ...  Read the complete review

To date, my favourite foreign language film had been 'Cinema Paradiso.' I have just finished watching 'Life Is Beautiful,' which I got bought for Christmas. Directed by and starring the loveable Roberto Benigni, the film scooped several awards including an academy award for best actor. It comes in at a brisk 111 minutes and in that time, manages to tell a truly captivating story. We start by being introduced to the hapless Italian Jewish man called Guido, who has a job as a waiter. When he is not entertaining his diners, he is attempting to woo a lady he keeps bumping into (Nicolette Braschi). There is an obvious attraction between the pair and the first half ...  Read the complete review

I cannot get on with subtitled films, I don’t know if it due to middle-aged eyes, lack of concentration or just plain laziness so it was all the more of a surprise to me when I saw this film and thought it was fantastic. Life is beautiful (La vita e bella)an Italian film with English subtitles has changed my thinking and shown me that it can be worth the effort. Actually I honestly forgot I was having to read them I became so absorbed in the story. I am sure you will have seen this film by now, either at the cinema, in video or on DVD, I have done all three and I think it is fantastic! I saw it first with one of my sons and his wife when they were here ...  Read the complete review

Life is Beautiful is a life affirming Italian film about the Second World War, it takes an incredibly scary period and shows how the human spirit can overcome fear and hate. Produced by Disney, the film is directed and stars the Italian Comedy actor, Roberto Benigni, he plays the Italian Jew, Guido, a good hearted and clownish man who meets the love of his life (Nicoletta Braschi), they have a son, (Giorgio Cantarini). In Mussolini's Fascist Italy, Guido and his son are taken to a concentration camp, to shield his son from this horrific spectacle, Guido tells his son that they are in the camp as part of an elaborate competition to win a camp, he ...  Read the complete review