Life Is Beautiful

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Life Is Beautiful

PG-13

Released Oct 22, 1998

2h 2m

Comedy

Drama

War

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Popcornmeter

81%

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93 Reviews

96%

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100,000+ Ratings

A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually they marry and have a son, Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosue that their time in the camp is merely a game.

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Critics Consensus

Benigni's earnest charm, when not overstepping its bounds into the unnecessarily treacly, offers the possibility of hope in the face of unflinching horror.

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Ben Dowell

The Times (UK)

Schmaltzy, treacly, saccharine — call it what you like, if you’re not blubbing by the end, check your pulse.

Sep 20, 2022

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Wrenching Holocaust fable with bittersweet humor.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 25, 2010

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Tom Dawson

BBC.com

How appealing you find it will probably depend on your response to Benigni's screen-hogging routines -- the line between endearing and irksome is a fine one.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 10, 2002

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The last act is monumental - in its crushing revelations, the inevitable deterioration and near-misses of the complex charade, and the chance coincidences that constitute alternating hope and despair.

Rated: 10/10

Aug 25, 2024

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Matthew Rozsa

matthewrozsa.com

"It makes you wonder if “Shakespeare in Love” really deserved the Academy Award for best movie of ’98."

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 26, 2023

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

“Life Is Beautiful” is quite entertaining and well acted for the most part. Benigni isn’t extremely impressive in the lead role, nor is Cantarini very effective. The plot contains various elements seen in other films and not done much better.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 25, 2022

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christopher b

I’m so glad I was the only person in the theater because I lost it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/04/22

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Marco Q

I first saw this film in elementary school during history class. It's a great and entertaining way to introduce young children to the sensitive topic of the Holocaust. That said, some scenes are too extreme in their irony to be fully appreciated as an adult.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/12/25

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Donald D

I thought for the first 20 minutes what am I watching then everything changed and I thought oh wow now I see and of course I had no clue. The father that everyone should have. Simply beautiful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/31/25

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Tarun N

A heartbreaking yet inspiring film. It left me sad, but also hopeful in the best way.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/26/25

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r96 s

'Life Is Beautiful' is certainly beautiful (in a sense), but is acutely haunting too. You can see where the film is heading from pretty much the get-go, though that only strengthens the grip that the film had on my mind. Evidently, it's an outstanding piece of filmmaking. I've, of course, seen plenty of flicks that feature this particular historical event, but I gotta say this one had a larger effect on me than is the norm. They are all saddening, obviously, but this one with the young family aspect hit a bit more, it felt more intimate. That's all despite the movie being infused with comedy, the mixing of which is supreme. Roberto Benigni is tremendous in the role of Guido, not only does he convey the aforementioned humour brilliantly but when it comes to the more sombre moments his acting prowess shines through just as much. Giorgio Cantarini shows up with an impressive kid display, while Nicoletta Braschi is very good as well - her penultimate scene stands out most. The stunning score is also a major plus, one part of it kept giving me Andrea Bocelli vibes; probably a lazy connection on my part, given it's an Italian film but hey-ho. My only 'negative' (it's not even a negative, tbh) is the final scene with Guido, which felt a little skipped across and rushed. As intended, just felt a tad odd whilst watching though. A heart-wrenching, yet splendid, 116 minutes, that's for certain.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

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Emily M

The most beautiful movie, a depiction of love.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/13/25

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Roberto Benigni

Director

Roberto Benigni

Guido Orefice

Nicoletta Braschi

Dora

Giorgio Cantarini

Giosué Orefice

Giustino Durano

Eliseo Orefice

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Synopsis

A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually they marry and have a son, Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosue that their time in the camp is merely a game.

Director: Roberto Benigni
Producer: Gianluigi Braschi, Elda Ferri
Screenwriter: Vincenzo Cerami, Roberto Benigni
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax, Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinema, Melampo Cinematografica
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 22, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 25, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.6M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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