After the wonderful Midnight In Paris last year, it’s fingers crossed that Woody Allen can continue his winning streak while simultaneously continuing his European tour, this time heading to Italy for To Rome With Love. The trailer doesn’t exactly make the plot clear, although it will follow a number of people in Italy, some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors, and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into. Woody stars alongside Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, Alex Baldwin and Roberto Benigni. No UK release is currently set, but it’ll be out later this year.
Life Is Beautiful – 15th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano
Director: Roberto Benigni
Running Time: 116 mins
Certificate: PG
Release Date: April 2nd, 2012
Director: Roberto Benigni
Running Time: 116 mins
Certificate: PG
Release Date: April 2nd, 2012
Even now, 15 years on, it seems almost impossible that Roberto Benigni managed to pull off Life Is Beautiful. Setting what is essentially a slapstick farce in a concentration camp is one hell of a gambit and could have gone horribly wrong. Indeed, the most interesting part of the new, hour-long documentary included on this Blu-ray edition is the discussion about what is a suitable depiction of the Holocaust and what isn’t, and the fears many involved had before they made the movie that the film not only couldn’t work, but could even end up being cheered by Holocaust deniers.
Benigni managed it though, using humour to highlight and contrast against the horrors the characters face. Indeed part of the movie’s power is that nothing about the concentration camp is funny – it never jokes about that – and it’s the place’s very grimness that Guido is trying to hide his son from. It is humour in the face of tragedy, and comedy that’s a testament to the human spirit. [Read more…]
Win Life Is Beautiful On Blu-ray!
It’s 15 years since Life Is Beautiful hit cinemas, winning legions of fans, three Oscars – including Best Actor for Roberto Begnini – and huge amounts of acclaimed. Studiocanal is set to release a 15th Anniversary Edition of the film on Blu-ray on April 2nd, 2012, and they’ve given us two copies to give away!
Life Is Beautiful tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice, who must employ his fertile imagination to help his family during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp. Using comedy to highlight the immense tragedy of the Holocaust, Benigni’s film is a singular achievement.
If you’d like to try and win one of the two copies of The Adopted that we’ve got to give away, answer the question below and fill in your details, then press submit! The competition closes on April 10th, so get answering and good luck!
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