O Tigre e a Neve

I think the difference between the great and the normal artist lies in how they can re-produce the magic moments of art. The film "The life is beautiful" (TLIB) from Benigni was a nice surprise for me several years ago and now I thought let's see, what else he can do. To be absolutely honest this film is not as good, as the (TLIB), but I felt the magic once again. This film was not so deep, maybe, but it has something that I've never found in (american) comedies. There the source of the humor is often disgusting and it completely misses the real, intelligent humor, which can be found here. I definitely liked this film with all of errors and weaknesses in it. It's worth of watching.

The Tiger and the Snow is the best film Benigni has released since Life is Beautiful.Although no where as good as that film,this film still manages to provide humor in the midst of tragedy and horrors of war.I really like the way he blends comedy and tragedy and he's really good at that.But there are times when he overreaches and doesn't focus on the actual plot and goes beyond.But this is one film that you shouldn't miss and will definitely allow the audiences to swallow Benigni's last effort that didn't turn out that good.

A poet who talks only about life and love is struggling to woo a women that we know very little about ,except that she keeps appearing in his dreams as his bride.He keeps having the same dream with her in his dreams.So when he comes face to face with her,he decides to get her at all cost.But after almost coming close,she leaves him and he never hears from her again.Then all the sudden he gets a call that she is in bad condition stuck in Baghdad during the American invasion in Iraq.So begins his journey to Baghdad and once he reaches there ,he finds himself in a completely different place.He discovers that the women that he's in love with has some kind of sickness that needs to be cured within 4 hours.So the poet goes out on the streets,deserts,roads to find a medicine.And on his journey he comes across various odd,funny and touching situations.

This film is simple and straightforward ,just like Life is Beautiful,and just like that film,Benigni presents his story in a rather amusing sort of manner.He brings surprises and turns and joy whilst telling a weak story.He makes most out of himself to keep the audience unaware of the flaws and hold their attention with scenes that really have lasting effects.

One scene,in particular was towards the end,when the Poet and his friend Fuad(Jean Reno)look up the sky and talk about god and something related to existentialism ,they marvel the beautiful night sky revealing gorgeous stars and at the same time the bombings are taking place.Showing that even in the most horrific situations ,you can still find amusement,and beauty.There were many moments in the film that really make you laugh,feel,and sometimes coming close to cry for the characters.And for that Benigni has achieved something.

Benigni is 90% on screen,and that becomes repetitive.He can get on your nerves and annoy you to death and you just wish you wouldn't get to see him for at least five minutes.Benigni is covering the whole screen time and that is one of the drawbacks.He is so concerned about himself that he forgets about the development of some of the characters.But ,nevertheless he does charm you and puts a smile on your face,either a feigned smile or comfortable smile.He does leave an impact and you have to admire his talent as a Writer ,Director,and Actor.For other cast members,Jean Reno is surprisingly effective,(I didn't knew he was so good in Italian Language).He portrays his character with depth.You feel this secrecy in him.He is trying to hide something and then in the end you see it.He really is a standout other than Benigni.While Benigni's wife is not all that impressive.Most of the film,she doesn't act but just Lay on the bed.So ,she doesn't have much to do,other than admiring her husbands charm besides her.

This is a very well made film that revolves around the Iraq war.Probably first of the many films that will have the Iraq war as the concept.And this first attempt is by far very ,very satisfying.I really liked it.Don't expect it to be as wonderful or touching or even emotional as Life is Beautiful.Yes,it is sweet,it has its moments of success but all the while you're liking it, Benigni comes along and ruins your mood.Though,not fully successful,it still goes down as the first contender for the Foreign Language Category at the Oscars.But I doubt it.

After the Holocaust, Roberto Benigni tackles a more recent but still tricky subject: the second Gulf War.And just like he did with his masterpiece, La Vita è Bella, he perfectly mixes comedy and tragedy, telling a story about love, life and death.

The first half-hour is 100% comedy, as we see Attilio de Giovanni(Benigni) take care of his teenage daughters, teach poetry at university, befriend a camel and desperately woo a woman, Vittoria (Nicoletta Braschi).There's even time for a really funny Sergio Leone homage. The trouble begins when Vittoria is dying in a hospital in Baghdad during the war (she went to Iraq to write a book), and Attilio tries to save her life with the help of his friend and fellow poet Fuad (Jean Reno, whose Italian is remarkably good).Expect a race against the clock stuffed with some incredibly funny material: more camels, Attilio praying Allah (one of the highlights) and even getting caught by American troops because suspected of being a suicide-bomber ("I am Italian" is what he keeps screaming during said scene).

There are a few plot holes (mostly concerning Fuad and his final scene,which has no explanation), but luckily the movie works anyway. Benigni has lost none of his vitality, and he uses all of it in this great picture reminiscent of Chaplin's best films (there's an explicit reference to City Lights).

Poetic and unbelievably beautiful, not to mention really funny, it's a must-see for lovers of European cinema throughout the world.

8,5/10

Roberto Benigni is such a likable guy. He's also one of the most talkative, if you've seen any of his films. Man, this guy rattles off sentences so fast it almost gives me a headache. It's doubly tough when you have to read a lot of subtitles in a hurry to keep up with him! It's also not easy when you're not quite sure what's going on, at least in the first third of the movie as scenes switch with a number of flashbacks. By the 25-minute mark of this movie, I was worn out to sort everything out and follow Benigni's rapid-fire speech. He also has a strange way - at least to us Americans - of expressing himself and his humor. He's definitely different.

No sense going into the rest of the story as other reviewers have capably done that. Overall, it was a nice story and it had some very touching moments. You have to root for Benigni's good-hearted character, "Attilio, "who certainly deserved a better wife than he got. His kids were super, nice girls. Also fun to watch and hear was Tom Waits, who plays the piano and sings throughout the film on-screen. One more thing: there was no preaching about the war in Iraq. The filmmakers were smart enough to let the viewer think for themselves.

A pleasant, perhaps very pleasant, two hours spent watching Benigni do his stuff in Italy and Iraq, though I have yet to decide if I really wanted to see another film about him chasing the woman of his dreams, especially as I can never decide if said actress is limited in her acting ability, or if she finds herself constricted by the rather reductive roles she finds herself interpreting. That said, Reno is excellent as the Iraqi poet in exile in France, firstly as a thought-provoking contrast to Benigni's over-the-top enthusiasm, and secondly because he is the politics that are touted when they describe the film as political. The poet's reaction to his return to his native land after many years in exile is an understated, but strongly felt, message. Of course there is also a message, and many jibes, in the humor of Benigni... about young American soldiers in Iraq, the chaos that still reigns in the country after the fall of the old guard and the naivety with which westerners view both culture and war. Great to see Tom Waits on screen again, though with an uncharacteristically romantic song, and for those who are interested, Waits does play 'the musician' and not a speaking role. The jury's out on how convincing the parent-child relationship was, Benigni seemed to be speaking to two small children, not teenagers. And Fox, though a good actress, played a rather mono-dimensional love interest here. I had the pleasant surprise of coming across them making this film while I was passing through Fiumicino airport earlier in the year- the humor that draws people into the cinema halls is even more vibrant live.