An inspiring tale of optimism and hope.

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2017)

Roberto Benigni's "Life is Beautiful", is an effective tale of hope, and optimism surviving even in the most dire of circumstance. While the film is more concerned with being a comedy than another stone- faced drama retelling an event from World War II, it remains mostly respectful of the subject matter, stumbling more so in the beginning, before finding a better balance of comedy and seriousness in the second half.
The performances are all top-notch, to include Giorgio Cantarini as Giosuè. Even if you don't speak Italian, each actor brings a clear emotional investment to each character, and even the bits that lean more heavily into the comedic tone of the film the actors find a proper balance in portraying their characters with equal bouts of levity and whimsy. Roberto Benigni himself stands out having to heavy-lift the responsibility of being the comedic lead without going too far into absurdity, which he manages, but does a better job in the latter half of the film once things take a turn for the worse. In doing so, he and the rest of the cast do not undermine the theme of the film - that hope and optimism can survive even the worst circumstances - and are able to tell a serious story with plenty of heart and sincerity.
All and all, Life is Beautiful is an effective, stirring holocaust film that chooses to focus in on being more of a comedy, which benefits the overall theme of the film. It could have easily crossed the line into disrespect, considering the event it chooses to depict, but in the end manages to find the line and ride it well. I recommend this film to those who enjoy some well presented levity and a more uplifting theme in their WWII media.