Different (in a good way)

Rating: Null/10 (23 September 2000)

(Minor spoilers ahead)
Well, obviously if it weren't for the fuss I wouldn't go see this movie, heck if it weren't for the fuss it would probably never have been released out of Italy. But, I can understand what the fuss was about. I have not yet seen a comedy about such a serious subject, most directors would never dare make a comedy about the Holocaust. But Roberto Benigni did, and it was... beautiful. It was beautiful because while it does take place in the Holocaust, that is not the focus of the film. I wouldn't categorize it as a War movie, because it simply isn't. It is a unique story about a father who tells his son that the Holocaust is simply one big game, that it is supposed to be fun, and he succeeds in doing so. The first half is funny, it is about a Jewish man trying to conquer the heart of a Non-Jewish woman. The second half is the drama part, which has comedic bits as well, such as one of my favorite scenes, when Guido (Benigni) is translating the German officer's commands to his son, making them sound like rules for a game.

Roberto Benigni gives a wonderful and unforgettable performance. The actors playing his son and wife (who is his wife in reality) do great jobs as well. I can definitely understand why it won the Oscar for best foreign film.