Hidously Overrated

Rating: 6/10 (18 May 2004)

I know little about the acting career of Roberto Benigni but I was told by a famous film tutor ( Who`s Jewish by the way ) that Benigni plays more or less the same character in every single film he appears in and I have no doubt this is true
And after seeing his performance as Guido in LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and seeing Benigni clamber over several rows of seats to accept the Oscar as best actor I can`t help thinking Benigni is unable to play ANY character that ISN`T Roberto Benigni
This film is about the holocaust - The greatest example of mans inhumanity to man - and that`s why it`s undeservedly well regarded . The scenes in the concentration camp are touching sad and funny as Guido explains to his son Giosue that they`re actually taking part in a contest to win a tank , but it also means sitting through a whole lot of irritating dross featuring Guido wooing his Princess . In fact the whole first half of LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL ( Written , directed , produced by and starring Roberto Benigni ) is an ordeal to sit through unless you`re a fan of Benigni . To be blunt if anyone deserved an Oscar it was Giorgio Cantarini as Best Supporting Actor as Giosue who gives perhaps the most memorable performance by a child actor I have ever seen
To be even more blunt I`m getting fed up with both holocaust films and the way they`re over rewarded at film award ceremonies . If you want to know about the horrors and dangers facing Jews and wider human civilisation go and watch one of Pierre Rehov`s documentaries which are often held at Jewish cinema festivals where after the screenings security guards have to check under the seats to make sure no one has left a bomb for the next audience sitting , or access a website featuring a young self employed Jewish man called Nick Berg who went to Iraq to help with the reconstruction and where he was captured by Islamic terrorists who then brutally murder him by holding him on the ground and slowly hack his head off with a knife .

Not praising LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL or indeed any holocaust movie is not anti semetism