I’m not sure what happened here… I wanted to honor Holocaust Remembrance with a movie that would still make for an enjoyable MovieNight, and I recalled finding Life is Beautiful quite entertaining and sweet when I first saw it during its general theatrical release. This one didn’t age very well (maybe the sugar content increased with age?), at least not for me.  Sure, there were some touching scenes (the little boy was adorable), but overall I found it cloying… everything was just a bit too cute, and the coincidences too plentiful. Benigni’s comedic acting, replete with rouge-y clown-like make-up, was reminiscent of an annoying relative who can’t stop making jokes when they come for a holiday dinner.

As for the portrayal of the Holocaust… it was pretty shallow, but ultimately I guess that Holocaust and MovieNight just don’t play well together. I guess I should respect that.

More about this film on IMDb