It has its moments but it is overrated.

Rating: Null/10 (15 February 1999)

"Life is Beautiful" is not meant to be taken literally. Those who criticize it because it is unrealistic are missing the point of the movie. To me the movie is saying that in the face of the irrational Nazi juggernaut, one has to react with humor and denial to survive. To give in to despair would be to hand the Nazis an immediate victory. The performances and the cinematography are fine. My problem is that a little of Begnini goes a long way. His incessant chattering got on my nerves fairly quickly and although he is a likeable person, I found his personality grating. He made a courageous movie, but I didn't love it as much as I admired his bravery in tackling this subject in such an original way.