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Happy as Lazzaro

Play trailer Poster for Happy as Lazzaro PG-13 2018 2h 5m Fantasy Sci-Fi Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 92 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Lazzaro, a good-hearted young peasant, and Tancredi, a young nobleman cursed by his imagination, form a life-altering bond when Tancredi asks Lazzaro to help him orchestrate his own kidnapping.
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Happy as Lazzaro

Happy as Lazzaro

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Critics Consensus

Happy as Lazzaro uses a friendship's ups and downs as a satisfyingly expansive canvas for a picture rich with thematic and cinematic depth.

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Critics Reviews

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Amy Taubin Film Comment Magazine Alice Rohrwacher follows her beguiling The Wonders (2014) with the no less lyrical and even more fabulist Happy as Lazzaro. Aug 27, 2019 Full Review Erika Balsom Sight & Sound In the wide, green eyes of actor Adriano Tardiolo, Rohrwacher finds a gaze that sheds all cynicism, a guileless anchor for her devastating exploration of the false promise of progress and the elusive possibility of collective happiness. Apr 7, 2019 Full Review Simran Hans Observer (UK) Rohrwacher's eye for gestures is revealing of class, pride, humour, and values. Rated: 4/5 Apr 6, 2019 Full Review Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film Philosophical, enigmatic and moving, Happy as Lazzaro may start as this...drama about one family’s dominion over poor working people..., but, by the end, it proves to be so much more than just a tale about the swindling and corruption of the innocent. Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 12, 2024 Full Review Diego Batlle Otroscines.com Even though the ending, overwhelmed with too many allegories and religious symbolism, doesn't measure up to the rest of the film, Happy as Lazzaro ratifies this filmmaker as one of the most valuable in contemporary cinema. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4/5 Aug 1, 2023 Full Review Manu Yáñez Otroscines.com This work makes us aware of the evils of our present and provides us with the tools to defeat them. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/5 Aug 1, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alec B You'd never expect a movie that features both social commentary and magical realism to feel this grounded and reserved and yet Rohrwacher finds a way to pull it off. Even more impressive is that the mid-point of the movie features a number of startling twists in the narrative that happen organically. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review Eric P A contemporary version of Candide (or, at least, indebted to Candide, a youth's journey, an innocent/fool's journey, both wry and sweet). Beautifully filmed, well executed all around. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/03/23 Full Review kay e Beautiful movie that is wonderfully thought provoking while also evoking tears as to how mankind is so often cruel and life unjust. One of the best movies I have seen lately and greatly needed in our present day world. I speak Italian so that added to the comprehension and appreciation but is a movie for all young to old adults around the world. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review isla s I really liked this film. I found Lazzaro a quite endearing figure - he's a quiet, introverted type and he has a sort of naive charm to him - he with the large (and seemingly un-blinking) eyes. I felt frustrated by those who chose to exploit him (if but only mildly) and indeed, exploitation is certainly a relevant theme in this film, as well as tolerance perhaps. I liked/respected the simplicity aspect of it. It has a positive feel about it. I thought its good as a piece of social commentary. Its quite a charming film in general, I thought and so I'd recommend it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Ken R Happy As Lazzaro – The Smell Of A Good Man Tuscan-born writer/director Alice Rohrwacher has created an Award-winning allegorical observation on how the average person stumbles along, following the ruling classes orders of the day. Most live without stopping to analyze the derogatory impact, this almost hidden manipulation, has on our everyday understanding of the true meaning of life. Curiously, the writer based part of this strange story on a factual newspaper story! The manipulation of the poorer classes by greedy conglomerates - fleecing workers for a pittance in return for endless hard labor. How empty modern lifestyles can offer little more benefits than those of the slave workers, too often pushing the good in humanity to obscurity. It's not a film for everyone and many viewers may miss important messages within this thoughtful work – perhaps one reason could be because they blindly accept the hidden economic controls, enforced on the world's working classes. ‘Lazzaro' is both enigmatic and silently devastating to any viewer prepared to consider how the world's bankers – pervade every aspect of modern life - often reducing it to rubble for struggling nations. It's little coincidence this film comes to its haunting conclusion inside a bank! It's a longish tale (2 hrs) so needing a patient, discerning audience. It could possibly have conveyed its thoughtful message in less time but those attuned to reading between the lines of our everyday news media - will be quite willing to take the journey. Fascinatingly the filmmaker is able to convince the viewer to accept quite jarring, bizarre twists, as if we trust somehow they are taking us towards a meaningful outcome. Sought after French cinematographer Hélène Louvart provides the darkly probing visuals. There is an interesting piano soliloquy that plays out here and there but the film has no score composer. Performances are uniformly good, making this a treat for those who like to think about their entertainment – the sensitive viewer might find the final scene one not easily forgotten (aided by a Wolf and some Italian folklore) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/22/21 Full Review Juan R Strange movie. Some Magical realism in the story of a naïve, humble and good human being. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/17/21 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Lazzaro, a good-hearted young peasant, and Tancredi, a young nobleman cursed by his imagination, form a life-altering bond when Tancredi asks Lazzaro to help him orchestrate his own kidnapping.
Director
Alice Rohrwacher
Producer
Carlo Cresto-Dina
Screenwriter
Alice Rohrwacher
Production Co
RSI-Radiotelevisione Svizzera, KNM, Arte France Cinema, Ad Vitam, ZDF Arte, Tempesta, Pola Pandora Filmproduktions, Amka Films
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Brief Violence)
Genre
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2018
Runtime
2h 5m
Aspect Ratio
1.66:1
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