Nicoletta Braschi

Life Is Beautiful
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A masterpiece!
  • Life is Beautiful
  • MASTER PIECE
  • AMAZING
  • La Vita é Bella
Life Is Beautiful
Starring: Claudio Alfonsi , Lidia Alfonsi , Gil Baroni , Massimo Bianchi , and Sergio Bini Bustric
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Accessories:
  1. Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella)

ASIN: B00001U0DP
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Amazon.com

Italy's rubber-faced funnyman Roberto Benigni accomplishes the impossible in his World War II comedy <I>Life Is Beautiful</I>: he shapes a simultaneously hilarious and haunting comedy out of the tragedy of the Holocaust. An international sensation and the most successful foreign language film in U.S. history, the picture also earned director-cowriter-star Benigni Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor. He plays the Jewish country boy Guido, a madcap romantic in Mussolini's Italy who wins the heart of his sweetheart (Benigni's real-life sweetie, Nicoletta Braschi) and raises a darling son (the adorable Giorgio Cantarini) in the shadow of fascism. When the Nazis ship the men off to a concentration camp in the waning days of the war, Guido is determined to shelter his son from the evils around them and convinces him they're in an elaborate contest to win (of all things) a tank. Guido tirelessly maintains the ruse with comic ingenuity, even as the horrors escalate and the camp's population continues to dwindle--all the more impetus to keep his son safe, secure, and, most of all, hidden. Benigni walks a fine line mining comedy from tragedy and his efforts are pure fantasy--he accomplishes feats no man could realistically pull off--both of which have drawn fire from a few critics. Yet for all its wacky humor and inventive gags, <I>Life Is Beautiful</I> is a moving and poignant tale of one father's sacrifice to save not just his young son's life but his innocence in the face of one of the most evil acts ever perpetrated by the human race. <I>--Sean Axmaker</I>

Description

An inspired motion picture masterpiece, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL was nominated for 7 Academy Awards(R) -- winning 3 Oscars, including one for Best Actor Robert Benigni. In this extraordinary tale, Guido (Benigni) -- a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor -- has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II ... and Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate! Honored with an overwhelming level of critical acclaim, this truly exceptional, utterly unique achievement will lift your spirits and capture your heart!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A masterpiece!.......2007-06-14

No movie i have ever seen takes you on such an emotional ride as this film. From hilarity, to a romance comedy, to the horrors of a concentration camp and tragedy and finally a glorious sweet ending.



This movie is about 3 people and their love for each other in facist Italy. A man, wife and child. Unfortunately the father and son are abducted and taken to a concentration camp because they are jewish. Their mother who is not jewish insists that they take her on that train also. That's love, that's courage. From the beginning guido tries to convince his son that it is really a game. As someone who has a son close to that age i can imaging the gut wrenching pain of knowing your son is hungry, scared and miserable. Guido's lies help soften the suffering some. Nothing in this movie makes light of what went on there. His son escapes death only because he hates taking baths and is able to sneak back to their quarters. You see the hard labor, you see their numbers declining as more "don't make it". You see the cold heart of a nazi doctor who was a friend of guido years back but makes no effort to help him.



Any reviewer who claims this makes light of the holocaust didn't see the movie.



A beautiful film. One of the best in the decade of the 90s.

5 out of 5 stars Life is Beautiful.......2007-05-15

This is a beautiful story about what a man will do to protect his family in the time of crisis.

5 out of 5 stars MASTER PIECE.......2007-05-08

So much taste in the story telling, only an italian could do it!

5 out of 5 stars AMAZING.......2007-04-29

This is a movie that makes you devestated, but it makes you have a deep appreciation of life.

5 out of 5 stars La Vita é Bella.......2007-04-26

From the beginning of the film Italian director Robert Benigni's `Life is Beautiful' is easily identified as a masterpiece. A tale of fantasy and humor in the heart of Nazi occupied Italy, this film is centered around the fanciful story of Guido, the films central character. Guido, (Roberto Benigni) is a young Jewish librarian who lives in a world of his own fantasy. He is witty, imaginative, hilarious, a little crazy, and in a state of constant bliss. From his riddles to his endearments to his stories, Guido displays a childlike innocence that captures the heart of any person- and in the movie, captures the heart of Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) his "principessa" (princess) and wife.

The movie changes from a romantic comedy to a sarcastic tragedy as Guido and his son Giosué are taken to a concentration camp by the Nazi officials that occupy Italy at the time. However, despite this depressing turn of events, it is there in the horror of the camps that the magic of Benigni's story takes flight. In order to save his son's sanity, Guido invents a game for Giosué to believe/play while they are in the camp. From a complex point system, to mean candy-hogging guards, to a grand prize of a real tank, Guido lets his imagination soar as he fills Giosué's mind with stories and promises. This absurd paradigm shift is not only hilarious, but also provides a window into the depths of the human heart, which can endure all things when the light of hope is present. This part of the movie was also the most engaging, viewers will find themselves at the edge of their seats feeling as if they were also part of the game, and when Guido fumbles in his explanations you might unexpectedly hear a random helpful suggestion coming from your movie-buddy's lips.

Benigni's amazing ability to involve the audience in the plot of the movie was one of main reasons why La Vita é Bella won four academy awards in 1998. Moreover, Benigni also ties one more element into the story and the characters of Guido and Giosué- the music. Throughout their entire time in the concentration camp, the music of the movie remains happy and uplifting. Despite the hardships and cruel reality of life, the optimistic music represents the story Giosué believes. This is another great example of Benigni's gift to blend all aspects of cinematography- the characters, plot, scenery, music, and the reactions of the audience- in order to make the movie a complete and unique experience for the audience.

Because of its light representation, `Life is Beautiful' is a movie that can be seen by all audiences and I strongly recommend watching this film in its native Italian language with English subtitles. The experience, emotions, and representations do not carry the same meaning in American versions, and yes much does get lost in the translation. I also recommend watching this movie with a friend, it's a very moving film and it helps to have somebody's shoulder near you to cry on. I hope you enjoy this masterpiece just as much as I did and are able to pick out the many double-meanings in the dialogue to get the most out of your experience.

Laugh, cry, love, watch, enjoy, and help Guido help you find the beauty of life...
The Tiger and the Snow
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A silent masterpiece that hopefuly will gather more attention
  • A Less than Perfect Roberto Benigni Vehicle
  • Life is STILL beautiful
The Tiger and the Snow
Starring: Nicoletta Braschi , Jean Reno , Roberto Benigni , Tom Waits , and Lucia Poli
Director: Roberto Benigni
Manufacturer: Arts Alliance Amer
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NY1EAS
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Amazon.com

There's not a lot in <I>The Tiger and the Snow</I> that we have not seen before from lead actor Roberto Benigni. Once more Benigni is paired with his real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi. Once more, Benigni is paired with the venerable Tom Waits (previously united in Down by Law). Once more, Benigni plays a slightly buffo character who overcomes incredulous obstacles to become the semi-lovable/inspiring/wacky hero of a desperate situation. Switch out a concentration camp for Baghdad and you have a plot that harkens back to La Vita e' Bella (Life Is Beautiful)--the film that thrust Benigni into the international spotlight, and a chair-vaulting Oscar appearance in 1999. This time he plays Roman poet Attilio, who sneaks into war-torn Baghdad in the hopes of resuscitating his theretofore-unrequited love interest, Vittoria (Braschi), who has been injured in a bombing. While Benigni's over-the-top slapstick persona is more palatable in the Italian comedy classics Johnny Stecchino and Il Mostro, there are some genuinely touching moments between him and Braschi in the film, including the surreal opening scene where Waits makes his appearance. Jean Reno (The Da Vinci Code) puts in a solid performance as Fuad, an Iraqi-born poet, while Abdelhafid Metalsi delivers a stiff-as-a-board performance as Dottore Salman. Pessimists may find this film hard to bear, but optimists will conclude that life is, indeed, beautiful. --Renata Sadunas

Description

Soon after the start of hostilities in Iraq, Rome-based, lovestruck poet and lecturer Attilio heads to Baghdad when he learns from his friend, an Iraqi poet, that the woman he loves has been critcally injured in a bomb explosion. Attilio does everything in his power to save her, risking his own life amidst the chaos of war. A winning blend of comedy and tragedy, The Tiger and The Snow is also a highly charged polemic against the futility of war.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A silent masterpiece that hopefuly will gather more attention.......2007-05-28

Roberto Benigni is without a doubt a mastermind of comedy. But not just comedy for comedy's sake, but a type of comedy that is paired with deep pathos. In this movie, he shows again his great art as director and actor. His favorite theme seems to be the great importance that love plays in our own life, and that in spite of all those horrific episodes of human history, individuals always fight to the last to keep the only thing that they can control: love; love to the ones who truly matter to us and who make life worth living. I highly recommend this movie. I am not sure why it has not made an impact in the US. My only guess is that people would expect to see something similar to 'life is beautiful', and even though the movie uses similar resources to balance the comic and dramatic, it is still quite different and of a category of its own. Here we are thrown into the drama a lot sooner than in 'Life', but still we are given many samples of the comic within great adversity. The type of jokes will remind you of 'Life is Beautiful', like the use of hilarious great coincidences. But still, this movie shows a maturity and intimacy that is deeply touching, and maybe even more intense. 'Life is Beautiful' deals with a man's great desire for the survival of his wife and son (those that he loves and all he has in the world) in the middle of one of the most tragic human historical tragedies. In 'The Tiger and The snow", Benigni uses the war of Irak as the historical episode, but he focuses his attention a lot more in the personal story. Here the war in Irak seems to be used as a mere example of one of those large events out of our control, another of those unnecessary tragedies that we humans keep committing over and over again throughout our history. But here this war can be any war, it could have been a war two hundred years ago, or a 1000 years ago, or in the future. Benigni maybe uses the war in Irak as a contemporary one that we can all relate to, since it is still going on and it makes it "closer" to us all, instead of placing the event somewhere further in the past or future. This is a technique that enforces the intimacy of the story. The focus of the movie is the power that love has in us and to the lengths it will take us to protect those who are most important to us. There is a universality in this movie that puts it in a higher level than 'Life is Beautiful'. To anyone interested in those movies that deal with the power of love, and the great lengths to keep anyone important to us alive, this is a movie you will love. Movies like this remind us that LOVE is everything. True love make us go through great adversities, without being selfish. And in spite of all the catastrophes and painful mistakes that we human beings commit and have committed throughout our history (wars, genocide,etc), we should always try to focus on that, LOVE, which is what really truly matters in life, and what makes it worth living. Please do watch this movie.

3 out of 5 stars A Less than Perfect Roberto Benigni Vehicle.......2007-05-23

Director and comedian Roberto Benigni has a large following among filmgoers because he brings to the movies a light-hearted, sensitive romantic desperate in love. And this character reappears in "Tiger and the Snow." Alas, Mr. Benigni is not able to make the funny scenes work in this film...as he has done so, so many times in the past. Perhaps that is due to the seriousness of the quest. Here our "hero" learns his love/ex-wife (Nicoletta Braschi) been critically injured by a bomb in the Middle East. On hearing this news, he immediately finds a way to fly from Rome to Iraq and does everything in his power to get her the care, medicine, and oxygen that she needs when these are in short or absent supply. The best parts are profoundly romantic...when, for example, he kisses his love most tenderly on the forehead when she is unconscious or he conveys his deep love for this woman to influence a wise sage to think up a recipe/cure for her illness. But the worst parts are the ones actually intended to be funny...such as Benigni riding a camel that goes the wrong way from the hospital or Benigni stealing new shoes from a market vendor and escaping into a minefield. Overall, the movie is worth seeing as an antidote to violent films today. (Bonus points: Jean Reno gives a lovely performance as an Arabic Poet).

5 out of 5 stars Life is STILL beautiful.......2007-04-17

Watching this movie will inevitably remind you of Benigni's previous movie "Life is beautiful". Most probably it will not give you the same thrill since "Life is beautiful" is a masterpiece and it is such an inspired movie. I am sure that even Benigni does not expect to produce such a movie again.

Still there are some common elements in these two movies. Benigni plays once more a funny character which is surrounded by extremely difficult circumstances. Yet he is focused on his goal (in this movie to rescue the woman he loves). And this time we get to see a much happier ending. This movie also unfolds during a war which is taking place right now. This time the villains are not so easy to point out (like the "Nazi's in Life is beautiful") but the movie still describes how war brings misery to everyone involved, either these are the American troops, the residents of Baghdad or even members of humanitarian organizations and regardless from which side the fire comes. If anyone expects any political comments in the movie I think he will be disappointed. Benigni remains neutral and does not take sides on who is right and who is wrong in this war. This might disappoint some who would expect a political comment in this movie yet it will make it more attractive to broader audiences.

I cannot also overlook Jean Reno's role in the movie. He plays an Arab poet. One of the best scenes of the movie is when he is looking at the starry sky of Baghdad with Attilio and he quotes some memorable poetry. I believe this is another role which Reno delivers in a superb way.

Nicola Piovani's music also contributes to the atmosphere of the movie. He has worked with Benigni in many films and there is the right chemistry between his music and the scenes for which it is employed.

In conclusion I would highly recommend this movie. When you get it do not expect to see another masterpiece like "Life is beautiful" because you will be disappointed. Yet prepare yourself for an entertaining movie with positive messages. If you have not seen "Life is beautiful" (you can check my review for this movie as well), see it AFTER you see this movie. I think this is the correct order to watch these two movies and get the best out of them.
Down by Law - Criterion Collection
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Hey Little Bird
  • Get something other than explosions and impossibly shallow writing!
  • Swamp Gas on The Low Side of The Road
  • An American classic
  • After Katrina, the memory of a once-existing city
Down by Law - Criterion Collection
Starring: Vernel Bagneris , Ellen Barkin , Richard Boes , Nicoletta Braschi , and L.C. Drane
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B00005JKFX
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Amazon.com

After creating one of the breakthrough movies of the American independent cinema, <I>Stranger than Paradise</I>, Jim Jarmusch stayed right in the same minimalist, oddball, black-and-white groove. <I>Down by Law</I> takes place in Louisiana, where two losers (musicians Tom Waits and John Lurie) find themselves stuck in a jail cell together. One day they are joined by a boisterous Italian (Roberto Benigni), and the chemistry changes--suddenly an escape attempt is on the horizon. Conventional drama is not Jarmusch's intention; one of the emotional high points of this movie is the three guys marching around their prison cell shouting, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" Yet the deadpan style creates its own humorous mood, underscored by melancholy (also underscored by the music of Lurie and the gravel-voiced songs of Waits). This was the first American film for Roberto Benigni, the Italian comedian (<I>Life Is Beautiful</I>), and he lights it up with his effervescent clowning. Jarmusch has said that <I>Down by Law</I> forms a loose trilogy with <I>Stranger than Paradise</I> and the subsequent <I>Mystery Train</I>, a triptych of disaffected, drifting life in the United States. Few filmmakers have ever surveyed ennui so entertainingly. <I>--Robert Horton</I>

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Hey Little Bird.......2007-03-23

Jarmusch's Down by Law opens with Tom Waits's seemingly nonsensical song "Jockey Full of Bourbon" playing in the background as the camera films various poor sections of New Orleans. However, while the song's lyrics might seem nothing more than a series of random phrases, it is quite fitting because they are a good representation of the absurdity of life and how chance circumstances can lead one on completely unexpected paths in life.

Filmed totally in black and white, which gives the already grim scenery an even grainier appearance, the film follows two characters, Zack (Tom Waits) and Jack (John Lurie), and the circumstances leading to their imprisonment. Both men set up by "friends" who seemingly had a bone to pick with them and while in prison they are introduced to a third fellow named Roberto who eventually helps them escape from prison.

While the above description is quite bare boned, it does sum up most of the film's "action" however, those who are familiar with Jarmusch's filmic work should be well aware that the minimalist director rarely, if ever, does anything overblown, but instead allows the humor of his films to seep through with dialogue and bantering amongst his characters. In fact much of the film takes place within the confines of a small jail cell. The music, by Tom Waits, is, as with almost every Jarmusch film, quite excellent.

While Down by Law might seem like nothing more than talking heads to some viewers, for those who enjoy simpler films that are stripped down to the bare essentials while still maintaining a great sense of humor, Down by Law is a great film to see.

4 out of 5 stars Get something other than explosions and impossibly shallow writing!.......2007-02-18

This is a film that I never knew of but for the fact that at the time, I had a large satellite dish. Saw a bit of the movie on one of the hundreds of channels available. I had to see the whole thing. It's a good movie and written and directed by craftsmen not mainstream war mongering moguls. If you like this you must also get "Dead Man." One of the most brilliant pieces of cinematography that I have ever witnessed.

4 out of 5 stars Swamp Gas on The Low Side of The Road.......2007-02-15

First, I 'd like to mention to the Waits fans here that the film that really charms with Tom is Cold Feet. Order immediately...it will put a big smile on your face...Tom is all over Cold Feet, charming, nuts, and real gone.
Back to Down By Law, I should preface by saying I'm completely in love in Ellen Barkin, and now that she's lightened her load, I'd be more than happy to let her throw my junk out the window. And speaking of that,, those shoes that Tom and Ellen fought over in the beginning..."No, baby, not the shoes", turned up on ebay years ago being sold by the the Starlight Childrens' Foundation...seems that they had already auctioned them and sold them, but no one picked them up, so a couple years later, they put them on ebay, and now they are under my bed. In color, they are crimson red on the inside...and size 10D. Well, they don't fit me. Down By Law is a fascinating romp, a film that lets time and place take over the plot, and characters fall in and out of their place. The DVD of this film by Criterion is the way to go...beautiful. Get Cold Feet on DVD...very cheap...very funny. Andre

5 out of 5 stars An American classic.......2006-08-16

Jim Jarmusch has, up to the present date, done no wrong in his career. His films, all of which he's written himself, are on the same level of genius as Truffaut, in his ability to tell a realistic story, and Fellini, to fill said realistic story with all kinds of eccentric and memorable characters. Down By Law, his second full length film, is his undisputed masterpiece.

How I found out about this film was through being a fan of Tom Waits. Looking at his filmography on IMDB I stumbled across this film, it sounded promising, it's rating high (not that all films with great reputations are good,) so I decided to give it a shot - I was not disappointed.

Waits, Lurie and Benigni all turn in spectacular performances, full of life and subtle humor that makes the story of three escaped convicts not only highly enjoyable but fully heartwarming.

5 out of 5 stars After Katrina, the memory of a once-existing city.......2005-09-06

No doubt all the wood frame structures that exist in the flooded
residential streets of New Orleans will be bulldozed over. The scenes in the first 20 minutes of this motion picture depicts some of the gritty residential streets of the city. Now just a memory. With the scenes shown on television of the aftermath of hurricane Katrina to a world-view audience, what came to mind were the characters depicted in the introductory sequences of "Down By Law". With all the radio stations and TV stations broadcasting salutatory programs with references to the city's rich musical and historical legacy, I wondered if there was going to be a TV station that was going to have the courage to broadcast this motion picture. But alas, no, it didn't happen. Too bad. It should have.
Mystery Train
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Elvis! No, Carl Perkins! No, Elvis! No, Carl Perkins!
  • Memphis Blues
  • MY FAVORITE JIM JARMUSCH FILM
  • Why can't I have something to do with Elvis
  • Individuality at Same Time and Place - A Thoughtful Jarmusch
Mystery Train
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase , Youki Kudoh , Screamin' Jay Hawkins , Cinqué Lee , and Rufus Thomas
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: 0792844033
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

Elvis may not be alive, but his spirit continues to permeate the American cultural landscape. Jim Jarmusch pays tribute his legacy in his funky third feature, <I>Mystery Train</I>. The name comes from the great bluesy recording Elvis made for Sun Records in 1955, but the stories of wandering tourists and lost souls drifting through Memphis come from the mind of Jarmusch. Three different tales play out in a single 24-hour period, a loose trilogy spinning around a fleabag hotel manned by a sleepy Screamin' Jay Hawkins and his eager bellboy Cinqué Lee. A young Japanese couple arrives in Memphis to take the Elvis tour, an Italian woman (Nicoletta Braschi of <I>Life Is Beautiful</I>) takes possession of her dead husband's ashes and gets a surprise visit from a wandering spirit, and three Memphis lowlifes (including indie stalwart Steve Buscemi and Clash guitarist Joe Strummer) take an aimless and ultimately fateful midnight cruise around town. Jarmusch lazily unfolds his tales at the speed of life, the unhurried rhythms lending the deadpan mix of quirky Americana, pop culture, and cinematic poetry a quietly lived-in quality, while he juggles timelines in a trick Quentin Tarantino borrowed for <I>Pulp Fiction</I>. The offbeat interweaving is just another pattern to the crazy quilt, lovely examples of the mercurial playfulness of life in Jarmusch's America. <I>--Sean Axmaker</I>

Description

After the critical triumphs of Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law, director Jim Jarmusch was called 'the most arresting filmmaker to surface in the American cinema by The New York Times. Mystery Train is a 'smart and curiously affecting (The Nation) comedy, that is funny and thoroughly satisfying (The New York Times)! Named after an Elvis Presleyhit, Mystery Train interweaves three engrossing stories, all centering around the Presley legend and his beloved hometown of Memphis. As the characters paths collidethrough laughter, fear and fateyou can practically feel the presence of the King himself in every scene and his legacy impressed on a generation of equally lost souls in 'this wry, brilliantly structured comedy (Boxoffice).

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Elvis! No, Carl Perkins! No, Elvis! No, Carl Perkins!.......2006-09-05

Mystery Train follows three stories through the heat of dreary summertime Memphis. Two Japanese teens dressed to the nines in 80s couture explore Memphis on a quest to determine once and for all whether Elvis or Carl Perkins was the true king of American rock and roll. They are awkwardly out of place amongst the townsfolk, but even more out of place with each other. She constantly jokes and jokes with him, at one point smearing lipstick across his face, only to be continuously ignored as he stares coolly into the distance. Their depressing love making scene in the seedy hotel where all the characters end up underscores the distance between them.

An Italian woman has an unexpected layover in Memphis related to the seemingly sudden and unexplained death of her husband. She tries to quietly navigate her way through the town, but is faced with con artists at every turn. She ends up sharing a room in the seedy hotel with a chatty local girl on the run from her allegedly crazy boyfriend and, as the only character indifferent to American pop culture, ironically ends up being woken in the night by a vision of Elvis.

The local girl's boyfriend sullenly drinks himself belligerent at a local bar with two friends. After being kicked out for getting too rowdy, the three take off in a pickup truck and rob a liquor store, unexpectedly shooting the clerk. They hide out in the same seedy hotel. Steve Buscemi is, as usual, a fabulous loser everyman who gets the brunt of the punishment for all their half-witted schemes.

The highlight of the movie for me was the bold and hilarious Screamin' Jay Hawkins who mans the desk at the seedy hotel. He continuously torments his bellhop, making fun of his hat and tricking him out of the Japanese plum he receives as a tip from the Japanese tourists. "You got any more Japanese plums? Or other exotic fruits from around the world?"

Overall, the movie is fun and watchable whether you want to read meaning into the connections between the storylines or not. It's an elegant collage of cultural clichés and a humorous look at the pursuit of superficial dreams.

4 out of 5 stars Memphis Blues.......2006-01-30


A quirky minimalist movie by Jim Jarmusch that is well thought out and cleverly devised that will leave viewers either fascinated or cold. It takes place during a single night in Memphis, and revolves around three unconnected storylines: a Japanese couple on a "pilgrimage" to Elvis shrines, an Italian woman whose flight back to Rome has been delayed, and a trio of young sleazes who get drunk and shoot a liquor store owner. They all spend the night at a fleabag hotel (The Arcade, run by Screamin' Jay Hawkins!). Jarmusch's use of flashback, a la RASHOMON, is clever and inspired. But Jarmush also likes to use long takes of scenes in which virtually nothing happens, which can make the movie feel long and ponderous. It's still the best of his movies, though.

5 out of 5 stars MY FAVORITE JIM JARMUSCH FILM.......2005-09-28

This was my second JIM JARMUSCH film and is probably my foavorite of his movies. The stories are so orginal and flat out hilarious, all three taking place in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE and involving ELVIS PRESSLEY in some way. The best story is the first, FAR FROM YOKOHAMA, involving the young Japanese couple (MASATOSHI NAGASAI & YUKI KUDOH) visiting MEMPHIS for the first time. Music legend SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS is terrific as the night manager of a run down hotel. Highly recomended for any movie fan or JARMUSCH fan who hasn't seen this movie.

5 out of 5 stars Why can't I have something to do with Elvis.......2005-09-26

MYSTERY TRAIN is my favorite Jim Jarmusch film, my reasons, it's one of those films you can watch over and over again, it's original and very creative. Jim Jarmusch always has interesting characters in his films. The base for this film is different people with different situations that revolve around Elvis, strange but isn't that what movies are all about, to me they are.

4 out of 5 stars Individuality at Same Time and Place - A Thoughtful Jarmusch.......2005-04-05

The roads to a town usually bring people home or people away from home. The road in Mystery Train is a railroad where the Amtrak delivers people through a city where some get off. People arriving to the town come there for different reasons and they leave for different reasons. Mystery Train is a study of people in the same place at the same time.

Memphis, Tennessee, is the destination for a young Japanese couple that arrives to see Graceland and other tourist attractions of the 1950s American music. Disoriented and detached from the American society, Jun (Masatoshi Nagase) and Mitsuko (Youki Kudoh) experience a drastic culture clash, as they compare their home Yokohama with Memphis. The space between them and Memphis continues to grow, as they speak broken English muddled by their Japanese accents. Nonetheless, Jun and Mitsuko find a dirty and shabby hotel where they decide to spend the night.

Stuck for a night in Memphis the audience gets to follow the Italian woman Luisa (Nicoletta Braschi) who attempts to find a way to pass time while wandering around in the town. People try to take advantage of her innocence while preying on her kindness and the dollar bills in her purse. In order to escape a possible dangerous situation she arrives in the same shabby hotel where the young Japanese couple is spending the night.

The third story that the audience gets to follow is about Johnny (Joe Strummer) who recently has lost his job and his wife. In drunkenness Johnny escapes the reality of Memphis, as the pain that he suffers is all too real while hiding a gun tucked away in his belt. An acquaintance calls his friend Will (Rick Aviles) who calls his brother-in-law Charlie (Steve Buscemi), as they are worried about him being drunk and having a gun. Johnny brings his two friends on a hazardous journey with the gun, which ends at the shabby hotel where the foreigners are spending their night.

Mystery Train provides an insightful and thoughtful venture for the audience while three different stories converge in the same hotel. Some are arriving to Memphis as others are trying to leave while some are stuck there without the notion of leaving. The different characters are all unique. Their uniqueness brings them all different experiences despite being at the same location at the same time. Jim Jarmusch provides an outmost clever depiction of the convergence of people in time and place, which of course provides an unique experience to all the people involved due to their own uniqueness. This trivial notion turns into an existential philosophical debate through Jarmusch's eye, which offers something for all to contemplate.
The Sheltering Sky
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Bertolucci's most underrated film, and a masterpiece...
  • A Masterpiece
  • Storaro's cinematography makes the desert appear blue...
  • "No Names, No Dates, Just Pieces Of Broken Pottery" ~ The Difference Between Tourist And Traveller
  • great book...good movie
The Sheltering Sky
Starring: Debra Winger , John Malkovich , Campbell Scott , Jill Bennett , and Timothy Spall
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000696IB
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Amazon.com essential video

Master filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci applies his considerable talent to this haunting adaptation of the Paul Bowles novel. John Malkovich and Debra Winger play Port and Kit Moresby, characters loosely based on Bowles and his wife Jane, who flee New York for North Africa, where they hope to find mystical truths that will reignite the spark of their marriage. But instead they lose their moral bearings (with help from a friend, played by Campbell Scott, who has an affair with Kit) while traveling deeper and deeper into the Sahara. Before long, what started as a vacation at exotic lodgings has descended into a tour of hell, as they stumble farther and farther into an unknowable spiritual territory. Though long and at times slow-moving, the film features marvelously nuanced acting by Malkovich and Winger and visionary filmmaking that makes the landscape at once picturesque and threatening. <I>--Marshall Fine</I>

Description

American artist couple Port (John Malkovich) and Kit (Debra Winger) Moresby are drawn by desire and destiny to travel through Saharan Africa, attempting to recapture the love the once shared.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Bertolucci's most underrated film, and a masterpiece..........2007-03-13

This is definitely Bertolucci's most underrated film. It's a real masterpiece. It's incredibly cinematic, well acted, deep, and mysterious. John Malkovich, Debra Winger, Campbell Scott, and Timothy Spall gives great performances, and it's another film that showcases Bertolucci's brilliant camera work (again lensed by Vittorio Storario), and Bertolucci's mastery of erotic cinema. The last 45 minutes or so of this film has almost no dialogue (unheard of in a film released by a major studio), but you are mesmerized by it anyway. It's a real ambiguous film, leaving you with more questions than answers. I have not read the original novel, but reportedly Bowles was unhappy with it. A friend of mine who did read the original novel and saw the film loved them both. I think this film got dissed a bit because it was done right after The Last Emperor, so maybe critics felt that they had to take Bertolucci down a notch. Another great Bertolucci film....

5 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece.......2007-01-14

Bernardo Bertolucci have managed to recreate North Africa of post WWII world and bring it to our screen. The only reason why I am giving it 5 stars is because each character is portrayed in the movies exactly the way they were portrayed in the book.

Granted, there are no movies out there that follow the book precisely and don't delete any scenes. And I do believe that it would have been much better if Bertolucci included more scenes and let Paul Bowles narrate them more often then he did. However, the way the natives, the cities and villages, the culture and the surroundings play out against Kit, Port and Tunner is absolutely amazing and nothing short of spectacular.

Of course the book was better than the movie, the way Bowles was able to destroy the characters in their pursuit of each other and North Africa, gives us an idea of how a foreigner/Westerner can loose his/her life and identity and they fail to understand and respect the other culture and its people.

If you watch the movies first, you will have many unanswered questions but you will be amazed by the characters and what they had to through. Read the book, then watch the movie and I'll guarantee you that "The Sheltering Sky" the book and "The Sheltering Sky" the movies will be in first ten of your favorite books and movies.

3 out of 5 stars Storaro's cinematography makes the desert appear blue..........2007-01-13

"The Sheltering Sky" is a road movie and a love story... Its real subject is very simple: Is it possible for two people to share the same dream and to exist as a couple? It's a simple story of two complicated people who love each other deeply, but can't be happy in love... So in the first part of the movie we see how the joy of life vanishes, and in the second part how the joy of death begins...

Debra Winger identifies with lead "Kit" passionate and seductive character... She, at least, feels the need to communicate... At times she feels undesirable, even unwanted and unloved... But this isn't easy to do with Port... Malkovich has a completely different approach to Port... He simply falls into the character... In his dark eyes we can see clearly the suffering of the memory and the pain of remembrance... Port's illness is an unspeakable solitude... He doesn't need anybody or anything to face the challenge of life... He feels he's sufficient to the task but we clearly feel his strong attraction to nothingness... Kit and Port know that they dearly love each other, but they just feel condemned, condemned to be together forever...

Bernardo Bertolucci planned the film in two sections: The solar part belongs to Port and the lunar connected to Kit...

3 out of 5 stars "No Names, No Dates, Just Pieces Of Broken Pottery" ~ The Difference Between Tourist And Traveller.......2007-01-05

Synopsis: Rich, dissatisfied American couple, Port Moresby (John Malkovich) and his wife Kit Debra Winger), travel to exotic North Africa hoping adventure will renew some interest in their failing marriage. The two travelers temporarily become a trio with the addition of fellow American George Tunner (Campbell Scott). George however turns out to be more of a tourist than a traveler* and they soon part company as the Moresby travel deeper and deeper into the vast, arid landscape. The desert experience turns out to be more than anticipated and those who survive will be forever changed. In the final analysis isn't that what a adventure is supposed to accomplish?

`The Sheltering Sky' released in '90 boasts a soundtrack of wonderfully ethnic music and some of the most beautiful cinematography you could ever hope for. Unfortunately in my opinion the plot falls short of delivering the full existential, introspective nature of the storyline. Artistic to a fault but it doesn't generate any interest in the chararacters. `The Sheltering Sky' is well worth a watch for the scenery alone, but it certainly would be a difficult repeat viewing for me.

*[A tourist is someone who thinks about going home the moment they arrive, whereas a traveller might not come back at all].

5 out of 5 stars great book...good movie.......2006-11-29

I should have given it less than a five for the lack of character development as it exists in the book, but I give it a five because it gets the job done a different way. I am not sure this is a stand alone film. It requires having read Bowles, I believe, to appreciate it.

When I read the various reviews of this DVD, it is very easy to fine many nuggets of truth in each review. This film delivered the sense of bleakness, hopelessness, despair that was prevalent during the post war period of many disillusioned with our world. The film did, for me, with images what Bowles did with words, striking the same sensibilities through the eyes.

Frankly, I loved it and believe it or not, I will watch it again!
Johnny Stecchino
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Jim Carrey Who?
  • Laugh out loud funny!
  • Seduction, Italian style
  • Not to be missed!
  • Bene bene bene!
Johnny Stecchino
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli , Sal Borgese , Nicoletta Braschi , Gaetano Campisi , and Alessandro De Santis
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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ASIN: 6303614280
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Amazon.com

During its release, this was the most popular film of all time in its native Italy. A typical Roberto Benigni comedy of mistaken identity, this 1991 work stars the actor-director in two roles, one a tough mafioso named Toothpick and the other a meek bus driver who is the gangster's look-alike. When the bad guy's girlfriend comes on to the clueless innocent--and she brings him along to her Sicilian villa--the slapstick madness rolls into high gear. Benigni really is a very funny and often remarkable clown, and he employs his usual physical gags in great and gratifying abundance. His script's inspiration reaches several peak moments when the mysteries between light and dark doppelgangers are suggested. One could reasonably call this sort of Jekyll-and-Hyde tale the closest Benigni has yet come to making his version of Jerry Lewis's <I>The Nutty Professor</I>. <I>--Tom Keogh</I>

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Jim Carrey Who?.......2007-03-13

Jim Carrey has nothing on Roberto Benigni. As an actor whose facial expressions and body language speak volumes, Benigni is a riot. This story of Dante (Benigni) posing as a mob boss all the while unbeknownst to him is hysterical. Dante is sweet and naive which has the audience in love with him in minutes. The film possesses a good story to go along with the comedic elements. You really must see this.

5 out of 5 stars Laugh out loud funny!.......2006-03-06

The first half of the film is the set up. After that your stomach muscles better be in shape. Because they are going to hurt bad if your not in laughable shape!!!!

5 out of 5 stars Seduction, Italian style.......2006-02-18

This is a wonderful comedy from the actor of "Life is Beautiful."
A gorgeous woman seduces a hapless bus-driver to Sicily, all so that she can have him "knocked off" because he looks like a double for her husband - a notorious gangster. Sweet, delicious, and fun. This is what comedy is supposed to be like.
Highly recommended

5 out of 5 stars Not to be missed!.......2005-01-20

One of the funniest comedies ever. The American version stupidly removes some material ... try to find an uncut version (available on region 2 DVD through Amazon UK).

5 out of 5 stars Bene bene bene!.......2005-01-03

FANTASTIC MOVIE!! I laughed until I cried! If you loved Life Is Beautiful or enjoy clever entertaining foreign films you will LOVE this movie!!
Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • suspend logic
  • Very Entertaining
  • Interesting!
  • This film is underappreciated
  • Interesting ideas, but falls flat on all levels.
Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio
Starring: Bruno Arena , Giorgio Ariani , Peppe Barra , Mino Bellei , and Alessandro Bergonzoni
Manufacturer: Miramax Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JLNB
Release Date: 2003-07-15

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Nearly abandoned by its distributor and savaged by critics, Roberto Benigni's <I>Pinocchio</I> is an object lesson in the hazards of success. Bolstered by his Oscar®-winning triumph <I>Life Is Beautiful</I>, the popular Italian actor-director-comedian was given carte blanche and chose Carlo Collodi's classic 1885 fairy tale as his next lavish project. This sumptuous production literally glows with traditional Italian craftsmanship, from delightful costumes and storybook sets by the late, great production designer Danilo Donati (whose last film this was) to the radiant palette of Dante Spinotti's masterful cinematography. This is one of the most beautiful of all Italian films, which only makes its shortcomings more conspicuous. At 50, Benigni is utterly wrong as the puppet who yearns to be a real boy, and his wife Nicoletta Braschi is similarly miscast as the Blue Fairy. Even worse, Breckin Meyer's English dubbing for Pinocchio is insufferably shrill, draining the appeal of Benigni's own performance. <I>Pinocchio</I> has many laudable qualities, but genuine enchantment is nowhere to be found. <I>--Jeff Shannon</I>

Description

Academy Award(R)-winner Roberto Benigni (Best Actor, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, 1998) brings one of the world's most beloved characters to the screen with this delightful live action adaptation of Carlo Collodi's classic story! The enchanting journey begins when the wooden puppet named Pinocchio (Benigni) comes magically to life! Then the fun takes off as -- despite guidance from the beautiful Blue Fairy and the love of his father, Geppetto -- Pinocchio's ever-curious spirit opens the door to one wild adventure after another! Through the irrepressible comic genius of writer, director, and star Roberto Benigni, everyone can share in this fantastic tale of wonder and imagination featurung the voices of Hollywood stars Breckin Meyer, Glenn Close, Queen Latifah, James Bleushi, Regis Philbin, John Cleese, Eddie Griffin, Erick Idle, and Cheech Marin.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars suspend logic.......2007-06-05

Odd, so many people writing that Begnini at 50 wasn't believable as a puppet who talks. What is believable about a puppet who talks? Boys who turn into donkeys? People who are swallowed by sea monsters? Maybe the idea WAS to depict the idea that the self-centered, tantrum-prine child is still there at some level, even in adults - yes ... seeing people's behavior in traffic, I think it is.

I loved this movie, and more importantly, so did my 2 and 1/2 year-old son, who is able to suspend all logic. When we watch the scene in the soon-to-be-donkey land, with Begnini swinging above the playing "boys", he says "Again". We watch it again, and he giggles with delight, again. He doesn't turn to me and say - you know - all those adults playing children are really miscast.

5 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining.......2005-11-18

I don't see what all of the criticism is about. Just because a film doesn't fit into the Americanized-Hollywood mold is no reason to toss it out. It's clear from reading these reviews that some of us have lost our ability to see life through the simplicity of a child's eyes.

I found this film delivers on it's goal: to be entertaining and enjoyable to watch. The directing of this movie was above creative standards and it really showed in the photography and editing. I would highly recommend the original Italian version to others without reservation.

As for the English-overdubbed version... well, it's overdubbed... what else can you say? If you watch it, you'll receive a mixed performance because you're watching Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde play the same character. I wouldn't even consider it.

3 out of 5 stars Interesting!.......2004-12-22

Without regurgitating what seemingly every reviewer of this film felt HAD to be said, I will say that this is certainly the most interesting of ALL Pincchio movies/adaptations in history!

For one, and this MUST be said again, to watch a 50 year old man play the part of a little wooden puppet is a exercise in sheer open-mindedness and tolerance!

In fact, watching the entitre film (ORIGINAL VERSION ONLY PLEASE) one get's the impression that Benigni favors adults over children, even in a childrens' story, as ALL characters are played by grossly overaged/sized adult actors.

The movies is funny though...in a strange way.
The biggest drawback aside from his age, is Benigni's un-naturally high pitched voice and penchant for rambling dialogue.
As a student of the Italian language, it can be hard to follow his incessant jumble of non-sensical jibberish.
At the same token, it is Benigni's annoying acting style that makes this film fun to watch.

What makes this film even quirkier is the relationship between a very grown Pinocchio and a rather attractive Blue Haired Fairy. There were times when I thought Pinocchio would just grab his beloved fairy and use his long nose to work his own brand of magic on HER. Sounds bad I know, but if you've seen this film you'll have no choice but to agree that there is waaayyy more physical chemistry between Pinocchio and the Fairy than ANY childrens story ought to have.

I can see why the critics AND the vast majority of viewers hated this one. It really isn't a GOOD film in a traditional sense.
Where this film shines is with those of us who have an appreciation for the off-beat and downright different.
This movie is both, which is why I bought it in the first place.

Will I recommend this to all you dear morally upright, purist partents out there for your kids to watch? Certainly not!
This is a non-sexual, but yet very adult oriented movie. Especially for dumbed down Disney raised US viewers.

Is this really a 45 million dollar flop? Absolutely!
Do I enjoy this film whenever I watch it? I most certainly do.

5 out of 5 stars This film is underappreciated.......2004-04-09

This is a very well crafted and entertaining movie, but of course must be watched in Italian, with the subtitles. If you like Benigni you will certainly enjoy this film--as usual he shines with comedic brilliance. The movie is absolutely hilarious in some parts, and very touching in others. Benigni's acting is great, but there are also great performances by the supporting cast members. This movie is beautifully photographed and cleverly written and it's a shame it was released in 'dubbed' form in the U.S. Dubbed movies are always bad, but the actor who did the voice for Benigni's Pinocchio was just not a good choice at all!

2 out of 5 stars Interesting ideas, but falls flat on all levels........2003-10-26

Roberto Benigni received extremely harsh critical attack for his recent rendition of Collidi's classic fairy tale of a puppet who wished to become a wooden boy. Part of this is because Miramax decided to cut the film from 110 minutes to 99(!) -- often a bad mistake, as it can damage the effect of a film. But they added another slapping blow by overdubbing the character voices. In a foreign animated film, this works more successfully because an animation cel stands on its own. Unfortunately, it's not so in the case of live action. The line-readings of the voice actors clash horrendously with the moving mouth of the foreign language, and, here, in PINOCCHIO, it's just really awful. I only listened to bits and pieces of the dub, and although the voice cast is certainly talented and does a respectable job (except for Breckin Meyer as Pinocchio himself), their words are so poorly synchronized with the moving mouth that the results come across as disastrous.

Although the film holds well together in its native tongue and uncut version, one cannot help but wonder just what went wrong with this production. PINOCCHIO is definitely an ambitious picture; the costumes, set designs and cinematography are all strikingly beautiful. There are also lots of staggering special effects shots, from a carriage drawn by mice to an enormous shark in the sea. Such effects made the movie the most expensive in Italy --$45 million in total--; and Benigni should consider himself fortunate that it broke even in box office receipts. In America, however, it didn't have the same reception. Either because of the cutting and disastrous dubbing (despite the presence of big names in the cast such as John Cleese, Eric Idle, Cheech Marin, and Glen Close), or the fact that people could not accept this version, the movie was a dismal failure.

Part of the problem is the decision of having Benigni himself playing Pinocchio. I mean, come on! Benigni is WAY too old for Pinocchio, and a lot of the other "kids" in this picture are played by grown-ups! Somehow it didn't come off on me as glaring that such was the case, but I can just imagine why critics and film buffs would slamdunk this film for that cause. There are plenty of interesting concepts and ideas for the film; the Blue Fairy's costumes are gorgeous, and the image of a butterfly present in the film is very nice, but that's not enough to save this poor, troubled picture. There's hardly a sympathetic character in the movie; Pinocchio is supposed to be disobedient, yes, but here he's portrayed as a crazy maniac, refusing to behave or do anything good until he is goaded into it. The Talking Cricket is not much better. If you were spoiled by Jiminy Cricket from the (far superior) Disney version, prepare to be shocked - he not only looks a man with artificial antennas placed on his head, he also acts condescendingly. Instead of being encouraging, he comes across as a sarcastic, unhelping little jerk who just badmouths the "boy" instead of coaching him. Granted, I'm aware that this is true of the original Collidi tale (Disney "softened up" Pinocchio's personality for his film), yet here it's executed so awkwardly that it becomes difficult to become involved in this film. It also is not a very clear, focused picture: it's too dark and menacing for youngsters and too insane to appeal to older audiences.

A modern misfire, this version of PINOCCHIO is more likely to be remembered for its cinematography rather than its misguided story and below-average dubbing. (Even on the Italian original, there is some gratingly bad acting.)

Surprisingly, even though Miramax butchered this film in its theatrical release, they certainly produced a great package with this DVD. It's a two-disc set, complete with a very gorgeous transfer, and two different versions of the movie. One disc is the horribly recut U.S. release while the other is the uncut Italian version. Strangely, even an English language track is offered on the second disc as well, and it includes all the stuff that was cut from the U.S. premiere! Very interesting indeed, even if the dubbing still can't hold a candle to some of the better ones I've heard (mainly from animation films, because they don't have the same lip-sync problem that live-action ones do). Sadly, though, even the presence of the uncut version doesn't change the fact that this movie is a disappointing experience. It's gorgeous to look at, but it's certainly not a classic by any means.
The Monster
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Monsters
  • EXCELLENT MOVIE AND VERY FUNNY!!!!
  • No one can resist this movie!
  • "Loris...a normal name. It warms the heart..."
  • GREAT SLAPSTICK
The Monster
Starring: Roberto Benigni , Michel Blanc , Nicoletta Braschi , Jean-Claude Brialy , and Roberto Corbiletto
Director: Michel Filippi
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000K3TM
Release Date: 1999-10-05

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Monsters.......2006-03-07

This is a great movie and most certainly worth watching. However, I noticed that it is out of print but still for sale used on amazon.
The people who are selling this DVD should be ashamed of themselves. They are charging from about 50 dollars to about 100 dollars? You have to be kidding me?
People, this is a good movie but it is NOT worth 50 bucks. Wait until it's rereleased or wait until someone who isn't a monster (drum roll please) sells it at a reasonable price.

5 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT MOVIE AND VERY FUNNY!!!!.......2005-06-07

I bought this DVD on Amazon as birthday Gift to my husband and the movie was excellent and very funny and has English and Spanish subtitles and spoke in English or Italian.
we prefer Spoke in Italian because is the original version and also because we can understand italian but may be that the most people doesn't like to read subtitles but any way any lenguage this movie are excellent try....you need it buy !!!!

5 out of 5 stars No one can resist this movie!.......2004-11-08

You don't have to be European, a foreign film lover, or a huge fan of Benigni to fall in love with this movie! It is side-splitting, stomach-hurting, floor-rolling funny! It is the funniest movie I have ever seen and I know funny! I grew up on Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, Airplane, Naked Gun, etc. and believe me this movie tops them all! So if you want a comedy that will make you laugh like you never laughed before then this movie is for you!

5 out of 5 stars "Loris...a normal name. It warms the heart...".......2002-12-08

There are a lot of people out there who do not like to watch subtitled movies. They'll base what they see and what they don't on this alone. If you are one of these people, and I must say that I understand how aggravating it is to have to read the whole movie, and that is why you have never seen The Monster, and insist you never will, I must say that you are missing out on something really good.
As for those who have simply never heard of The Monster, let me say that it is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Roberto Benigni is an excellent actor, and a hilarious one too. He is like an Italian version of Jim Carrey, only ten times better.
The Monster, or Il Mostro as it is called in Italian, is about a man named Loris who is a sane enough man, if not a little bit strange. But he is by no means a decent human being. He steals, he lies, he cheats his landlord out of potential buyers of his apartment (yet he won't pay the rent). He places supermarket items on other shoppers at the local grocery as a way to make the alarm systems go crazy, so that he can easily get away with a coat full of stolen goods. At the same time that Loris is doing all these illegal things, another man is going around raping and killing off the female population. Due to some hilarious misunderstanding, Loris is focused in on as being the main suspect. After watching a tape that the police have made of Loris on a "normal day", it is easy to understand why. In order to catch Loris "with his hand in the cookie jar", a policewoman named Jessica is assigned the job of seducing him, and once he responds to her sexual innuendoes, she is to slap on the cuffs and haul him in. After all, that will prove he is some kind of sex maniac, right?
I recommend this movie to Italians who enjoy a good laugh, fans of Benigni and any one else with a sense of humor. I first saw this movie a couple of years ago at my grandparents' house. I have loved it ever since.

4 out of 5 stars GREAT SLAPSTICK.......2002-07-08

I love this sort of silly, lightweight comedy. Like many farces, the comedy comes from the misunderstandings and deceptions between characters. Although the movie is not perfect, it has some hilarious scenes that will leave you gasping for breath.

Benigni reminds me of a speaking version of Harpo Marx. Like Harpo, he is a loveable satyr and trickster. Both men are short and are not handsome, but they have wonderfully expressive faces and are masters of physical humor.

I have seen two other Benigni films: Johnny Toothpick and Life is Beautiful. The Monster and Johnny Toothpick are somewhat similar in style and content, although I prefer the former to the latter. In any case, if you enjoyed one, you probably will enjoy the other. Life is Beautiful is an entirely different sort of movie, deftly blending comedy and drama. Life is Beautiful is an outstanding film, but if that is the only film of Benigni's you have seen, you should understand that the Monster is much less serious and much more crass.
Sheltering Sky
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Bertolucci's most underrated film, and a masterpiece...
  • A Masterpiece
  • Storaro's cinematography makes the desert appear blue...
  • "No Names, No Dates, Just Pieces Of Broken Pottery" ~ The Difference Between Tourist And Traveller
  • great book...good movie
Sheltering Sky
Starring: Debra Winger , John Malkovich , Campbell Scott , Jill Bennett , and Timothy Spall
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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ASIN: 630200053X
Release Date: 1997-11-10

Amazon.com essential video

Master filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci applies his considerable talent to this haunting adaptation of the Paul Bowles novel. John Malkovich and Debra Winger play Port and Kit Moresby, characters loosely based on Bowles and his wife Jane, who flee New York for North Africa, where they hope to find mystical truths that will reignite the spark of their marriage. But instead they lose their moral bearings (with help from a friend, played by Campbell Scott, who has an affair with Kit) while traveling deeper and deeper into the Sahara. Before long, what started as a vacation at exotic lodgings has descended into a tour of hell, as they stumble farther and farther into an unknowable spiritual territory. Though long and at times slow-moving, the film features marvelously nuanced acting by Malkovich and Winger and visionary filmmaking that makes the landscape at once picturesque and threatening. <I>--Marshall Fine</I>

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Bertolucci's most underrated film, and a masterpiece..........2007-03-13

This is definitely Bertolucci's most underrated film. It's a real masterpiece. It's incredibly cinematic, well acted, deep, and mysterious. John Malkovich, Debra Winger, Campbell Scott, and Timothy Spall gives great performances, and it's another film that showcases Bertolucci's brilliant camera work (again lensed by Vittorio Storario), and Bertolucci's mastery of erotic cinema. The last 45 minutes or so of this film has almost no dialogue (unheard of in a film released by a major studio), but you are mesmerized by it anyway. It's a real ambiguous film, leaving you with more questions than answers. I have not read the original novel, but reportedly Bowles was unhappy with it. A friend of mine who did read the original novel and saw the film loved them both. I think this film got dissed a bit because it was done right after The Last Emperor, so maybe critics felt that they had to take Bertolucci down a notch. Another great Bertolucci film....

5 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece.......2007-01-14

Bernardo Bertolucci have managed to recreate North Africa of post WWII world and bring it to our screen. The only reason why I am giving it 5 stars is because each character is portrayed in the movies exactly the way they were portrayed in the book.

Granted, there are no movies out there that follow the book precisely and don't delete any scenes. And I do believe that it would have been much better if Bertolucci included more scenes and let Paul Bowles narrate them more often then he did. However, the way the natives, the cities and villages, the culture and the surroundings play out against Kit, Port and Tunner is absolutely amazing and nothing short of spectacular.

Of course the book was better than the movie, the way Bowles was able to destroy the characters in their pursuit of each other and North Africa, gives us an idea of how a foreigner/Westerner can loose his/her life and identity and they fail to understand and respect the other culture and its people.

If you watch the movies first, you will have many unanswered questions but you will be amazed by the characters and what they had to through. Read the book, then watch the movie and I'll guarantee you that "The Sheltering Sky" the book and "The Sheltering Sky" the movies will be in first ten of your favorite books and movies.

3 out of 5 stars Storaro's cinematography makes the desert appear blue..........2007-01-13

"The Sheltering Sky" is a road movie and a love story... Its real subject is very simple: Is it possible for two people to share the same dream and to exist as a couple? It's a simple story of two complicated people who love each other deeply, but can't be happy in love... So in the first part of the movie we see how the joy of life vanishes, and in the second part how the joy of death begins...

Debra Winger identifies with lead "Kit" passionate and seductive character... She, at least, feels the need to communicate... At times she feels undesirable, even unwanted and unloved... But this isn't easy to do with Port... Malkovich has a completely different approach to Port... He simply falls into the character... In his dark eyes we can see clearly the suffering of the memory and the pain of remembrance... Port's illness is an unspeakable solitude... He doesn't need anybody or anything to face the challenge of life... He feels he's sufficient to the task but we clearly feel his strong attraction to nothingness... Kit and Port know that they dearly love each other, but they just feel condemned, condemned to be together forever...

Bernardo Bertolucci planned the film in two sections: The solar part belongs to Port and the lunar connected to Kit...

3 out of 5 stars "No Names, No Dates, Just Pieces Of Broken Pottery" ~ The Difference Between Tourist And Traveller.......2007-01-05

Synopsis: Rich, dissatisfied American couple, Port Moresby (John Malkovich) and his wife Kit Debra Winger), travel to exotic North Africa hoping adventure will renew some interest in their failing marriage. The two travelers temporarily become a trio with the addition of fellow American George Tunner (Campbell Scott). George however turns out to be more of a tourist than a traveler* and they soon part company as the Moresby travel deeper and deeper into the vast, arid landscape. The desert experience turns out to be more than anticipated and those who survive will be forever changed. In the final analysis isn't that what a adventure is supposed to accomplish?

`The Sheltering Sky' released in '90 boasts a soundtrack of wonderfully ethnic music and some of the most beautiful cinematography you could ever hope for. Unfortunately in my opinion the plot falls short of delivering the full existential, introspective nature of the storyline. Artistic to a fault but it doesn't generate any interest in the chararacters. `The Sheltering Sky' is well worth a watch for the scenery alone, but it certainly would be a difficult repeat viewing for me.

*[A tourist is someone who thinks about going home the moment they arrive, whereas a traveller might not come back at all].

5 out of 5 stars great book...good movie.......2006-11-29

I should have given it less than a five for the lack of character development as it exists in the book, but I give it a five because it gets the job done a different way. I am not sure this is a stand alone film. It requires having read Bowles, I believe, to appreciate it.

When I read the various reviews of this DVD, it is very easy to fine many nuggets of truth in each review. This film delivered the sense of bleakness, hopelessness, despair that was prevalent during the post war period of many disillusioned with our world. The film did, for me, with images what Bowles did with words, striking the same sensibilities through the eyes.

Frankly, I loved it and believe it or not, I will watch it again!
Life Is Beautiful
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A masterpiece!
  • Life is Beautiful
  • MASTER PIECE
  • AMAZING
  • La Vita é Bella
Life Is Beautiful
Starring: Claudio Alfonsi , Lidia Alfonsi , Gil Baroni , Massimo Bianchi , and Sergio Bini Bustric
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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ASIN: 6305426651
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Amazon.com

Italy's rubber-faced funnyman Roberto Benigni accomplishes the impossible in his World War II comedy <I>Life Is Beautiful</I>: he shapes a simultaneously hilarious and haunting comedy out of the tragedy of the Holocaust. An international sensation and the most successful foreign language film in U.S. history, the picture also earned director-cowriter-star Benigni Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor. He plays the Jewish country boy Guido, a madcap romantic in Mussolini's Italy who wins the heart of his sweetheart (Benigni's real-life sweetie, Nicoletta Braschi) and raises a darling son (the adorable Giorgio Cantarini) in the shadow of fascism. When the Nazis ship the men off to a concentration camp in the waning days of the war, Guido is determined to shelter his son from the evils around them and convinces him they're in an elaborate contest to win (of all things) a tank. Guido tirelessly maintains the ruse with comic ingenuity, even as the horrors escalate and the camp's population continues to dwindle--all the more impetus to keep his son safe, secure, and, most of all, hidden. Benigni walks a fine line mining comedy from tragedy and his efforts are pure fantasy--he accomplishes feats no man could realistically pull off--both of which have drawn fire from a few critics. Yet for all its wacky humor and inventive gags, <I>Life Is Beautiful</I> is a moving and poignant tale of one father's sacrifice to save not just his young son's life but his innocence in the face of one of the most evil acts ever perpetrated by the human race. <I>--Sean Axmaker</I>

Description

An inspired motion picture masterpiece, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL was nominated for 7 Academy Awards(R) -- winning 3 Oscars, including one for Best Actor Robert Benigni. In this extraordinary tale, Guido (Benigni) -- a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor -- has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II ... and Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate! Honored with an overwhelming level of critical acclaim, this truly exceptional, utterly unique achievement will lift your spirits and capture your heart!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A masterpiece!.......2007-06-14

No movie i have ever seen takes you on such an emotional ride as this film. From hilarity, to a romance comedy, to the horrors of a concentration camp and tragedy and finally a glorious sweet ending.



This movie is about 3 people and their love for each other in facist Italy. A man, wife and child. Unfortunately the father and son are abducted and taken to a concentration camp because they are jewish. Their mother who is not jewish insists that they take her on that train also. That's love, that's courage. From the beginning guido tries to convince his son that it is really a game. As someone who has a son close to that age i can imaging the gut wrenching pain of knowing your son is hungry, scared and miserable. Guido's lies help soften the suffering some. Nothing in this movie makes light of what went on there. His son escapes death only because he hates taking baths and is able to sneak back to their quarters. You see the hard labor, you see their numbers declining as more "don't make it". You see the cold heart of a nazi doctor who was a friend of guido years back but makes no effort to help him.



Any reviewer who claims this makes light of the holocaust didn't see the movie.



A beautiful film. One of the best in the decade of the 90s.

5 out of 5 stars Life is Beautiful.......2007-05-15

This is a beautiful story about what a man will do to protect his family in the time of crisis.