Reviews

Not that great, but love Crowe I cannot help but feel that this is more than a touch overrated. And although it is a good movie without much doubt, I just don't understand the buckets of a admiration that so many people have towards it. Yes it's well made and acted, but it's also flat, overly long, and quite a joyless watch too, while the plot is nothing that hasn't been done many times before with its good cop caught between his corrupt allies and superiors. One thing that this does do well is that it feels like an actual portrayal of the darker side of criminal life back then (although when Guy Pearce uses a handlkerchief to open the door to the night owl cafe with its two billion finger prints smothered all over it, I couldn't help but chuckle) even compared to the original movies of that period this has more guts with its swear laden script and more explicitly sleazy elements that wouldn't have ever passed through the censors back in the 40s-early 50's. This overall thanks to its better elements is worth a look, but I don't feel it's the modern classic many claim it to be.

As a Christian, I can really relate to this powerful film. The story is really in two parts. In the first A Jewish-Italian waiter named Guido works in Italy and keeps running into the same woman who he has fallen in love with. At one point he sees her at a party and rescues her taking her away on horseback. Several years later they have married and had a son. Suddenly WWII breaks out and the three are sent to concentration camps and thus begins the second half.

In the camp Guido tries to shield his son from the horror around him. His son Giosue never sees what is really going on because his father has led him to believe that it is all a game of hide and seek and that if he wins, he will get a tank as a prize. So the movie becomes a game of cat-and-mouse as Giosue tries to stay hidden while Guido tries to keep him convinced that there really is a contest going on.

'Life is Beautiful' is a wonderful movie evoking memories of Chaplin's best work. Benigni is a talented comic actor and a very brave director. He conquers a tricky balance between a difficult subject and a light comedy. This is a high-wire act of a movie and he succeeds brilliantly.

So happy and thrilled they're screening this very important film in Denver. We saw this film in an advanced screening and it has one of the best endings ever in a movie. If you don't believe in God, then no I don't recommend this as this shows what awaits all those who mock, ridicule and reject those who do the work of Christ - serious stuff.

THANK YOU AGAIN FILMMAKERS!!!!

This is probably the most famous anti-war movie of all times. It's in the IMDb top50, but definitely not in my top50. However, I still thought it was a good film. Especially Robert Duvall (Kilgore) succeeds in displaying the insanity of war as he treats combat like a painting, plays classic music to the horrendous scenes and has his guys surfing at the same time. Excellent portrayal. He was the much better Coppola reunion in this movie and the Golden Globe and BAFTA wins were absolutely deserving. And when there is no visual horror...horror (e.g. A severed head or the death of the character played by the very young Laurence Fishburne), we hear people talking about it, for example Kurtz' story on severed children's arms.

The redux version of the movie runs for considerably over 3 hours, about 200 minutes, and I would lie if I said there was not a single moment when it dragged. It did, occasionally, for example when they meet the French guys. I could have done without that part. The cast is pretty spectacular. Apart from everybody I already mentioned, there's also Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford and Frederic Forrest in this movie, all 3 Academy Award nominees themselves. It's an interesting take on soldiers' lives during this difficult time. But apart from all the brutal battle scenes and (during one scene) the unsuccessful longing for leadership, we also see a bunch of playboy bunnies giving the troops some pleasure with their mere presence.