Sunday, April 20, 2008

The Beauty of Life

A rocky start to my weekend had me a little down in the dumps. Thankfully, someone very near and dear to my heart found numerous ways to remind me of how truly beautiful life can be, including showing me the obviously relevant Life is Beautiful from 1998. I had always wanted to see the highly acclaimed film, which was nominated for 7 Oscars and won 3 (for Best Original Score, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actor for writer/director/star Roberto Benigni). After 10 years, I finally did, and the timing was perfect.

When the Nazis take over Italy in the 1930's, Jewish book keeper Guido Orefice (Benigni) must use his steadfast sense of humor to keep his family intact and alive. With a charm that's reminiscent of a Chaplin classic, the film is a big-hearted model of selfless love that's often surprisingly hilarious in spite of its morbid setting. Needless to say, it lifted my spirits - out of the dumps and into the clouds.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This movie melts the coldest of hearts. I loved it. No more to say.