LA VITA E BELLA DESERVES TO WIN BEST PICTURE OSCAR

Rating: 10/10 (23 February 1999)

La Vita e Bella is an extraordinary film. Not many films can make you laugh as much as you cry - but this certainly is one of them. Roberto Benigni (the Robin Williams of Italian cinema) is wonderful in the lead role and has done a fantastic job with the directing and script, too. His real life wife, Nicoletta Braschi, is great as his wife who, although she herself is not Jewish, demands to be taken to the camp with him. Credit must also go to little Giorgio Cantarini who is brilliant as Giosue (Joshua), Benigni's son, who he tries to shield from the horrors of the holocaust. The film starts in typical slapstick Benigni fashion in 1939 Italy as Guido and his friend Ferruccio go to Arezzo, a Tuscan town. On the way, Guido meets Dora, a schoolteacher, and falls for her. Once they arrive in town, Guido and Dora meet again on a number of occasions, each time Guido surprises Dora - his "principessa". Although Dora is engaged to another man, he still fights for her and eventually wins her over in a memorable scene which uses so many set pieces that have been set up in the previous 30 minutes. The film continues 5 years later and now Guido and Dora are married and have a little boy called Giosue. This is where the film begins to get a little dark as Giudo, Giosue and Dora are taken to a concentration camp and the men and women are seperated. Guido pretends to Giosue that it is all a game and that they must obtain 1000 points to win the prize of a real tank. Schindler's List was a very powerful film and had very graphic scenes portraying the holocaust. Benigni does not show as many graphic scenes but you can still feel the pain and suffering. La Vita e Bella should win the Oscar for Best Picture - but unfortunately I don't think it will as Hollywood is bound to overlook the most powerful, funny and emotional film of all the nominees.