03.21.99
Review: Life is Beautiful
Mar 21 Sun (02 PM)
Last night, Amy and I saw Life Is Beautiful at the Eastgate Theaters. Amy’s been just about dying to see it, and I was interested by the fact that it’s the closest a foreign film has come to getting a Best Picture oscar. (Aren’t those on tonight? Or is it next Sunday?)
The film was truly wonderful. The dialogue was excelent, the humour and the horror were both tastefully done, the sets were very good and subtitles where nearly invisibile, as they should be.
I came to the feeling that the film was like a piece of old, worn, and loved furniture. It was very much a European film, and it reminded me, deeply, of our time in Prague. Handles in the middle of the doors, the old next to extremely old. Fine and handcrafted oak chairs with worn and strong cusions. This feeling, this essence was in this film. I loved it for that.
I also loved it for what it didn’t show: grizzly scenes, gratuitous subplots. It was a fine and honest film. It was very much worth the full price of a film ticket.