MartinHafer While I loved Roberto Begnini in LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and JOHNNY STECCHINO, I really had a hard time enjoying this film--though fortunately it got better as the film progressed. My biggest problem with it is that I felt that Begnini's character was really creepy. While the film is supposed to be a comedy of sorts, it wasn't all that funny and he came off as a very needy stalker. Last I checked, being a stalker was anathema to good comedy! It seems that every night Begnini dreams about marrying a lady and when he finally sees this woman (Nicoletta Braschi) in real life, he stalks her! In real life, such a guy would have a restraining order out against him or end up killing his "lady love" in some sort of psychotic murder-suicide spree! Others may have laughed at his "cute" advances towards this poor woman--I just felt uneasy.Later, this lady travels to Iraq just as the war is beginning which begs the question "is she 100% insane?!". And, shortly after arriving, she naturally is severely injured and is dying. When Begnini finds out, he drops everything in Rome and travels against all odds to Baghdad to do everything he can to save her. This portion of the film is actually pretty sweet, as he works so hard to keep her alive--it's quite touching,...though once again, I had to remind myself that he IS a stalker and traveled a couple thousand miles into a war zone because of his bizarre obsession.Strengths of the film were Begnini's performance (though at times, it did come off as essentially the same guy he was in LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL) and the latter half of the film (while not great--it was light-years ahead of the first half). Deficits were choppy editing and storytelling, occasionally confusing writing, an uncomfortable juxtaposition of comedy with tragedy and stalking as well as Jean Reno's inexplicable character--his motivations and everything about him seemed ill-defined and confusing. The bottom line is that despite being a very talented man, this is a huge letdown for Begnini and isn't an especially good film. Watchable but quite flawed.FYI--Nicoletta Braschi is Begnini's real-life wife and they have starred in quite a few films together.

Junker-2 Good news: Roberto Benigni is one of the most gifted comics in the world today. Not so good news: His results on screen have been wildly uneven. Watching "Life is Beautiful" and then "Pinochio" back to back should give one proof of this claim.Fortunately, "The Tiger and the Snow" is one of his better efforts and perfectly demonstrates what places Benigni above most all of his contemporaries. He is not just a buffoon; he has a heart."Life is Beautiful" was criticized by many as being unrealistic and I'm certain "The Tiger and the Snow" is receiving similar complaints. These critics miss the point. The situations Benigni puts himself into may be absurd, but the emotions are not. "Life" was about a father's love for his son and how he would do absolutely anything to protect that son. "Tiger" is about one man's love for one woman.This is a selfless love which expects nothing in return. Whether she reciprocates or not is irrelevant. He loves her and will do absolutely anything for her, even follow her into a hell on Earth.After watching "The Tiger and the Snow" I immediately logged onto the IMDb website to see what other Benigni movies I have missed somewhere along the way. I have come to the conclusion that any Benigni movie, even his less successful ones, are well worth seeing.

kosmasp Begnini is walking/dancing/playing (whatever you want to call it ;o) ) on a very fine/thin line here. But he knows how to handle this romance/comedy/drama. Like he did with his previous Oscar winning picture! The performances are great, the situations are funny and dramatic or even sad. But you're always with the characters. There is one moment (Begnini is with Reno together in this scene) that doesn't feel right, but other than that, the movie flows. And while all hell breaks loose. you're tied to the story of a few characters ... waiting to see what is going to happen ... A great movie, with big feelings! :o)

waterwalker Despite the critics' uncertainties about this one, and despite the fact that it isn't as brilliant a film as "Life is Beautiful" this one is still definitely worth watching. Benigni gives a genuinely compassionate performance; his humour heightens the effect of the pathos rather than detracting from it. I also enjoyed the fact that everything is not tied up in a neat little bow at the end, although you can guess at what will probably happen.For some people, Benigni may be too over the top; for others this very exuberance will make them smile. If anything in this movie he has matured as a performer; the serious scenes are well done and believable throughout.Shame if this one dies due to mixed reviews; its certainly more enjoyable than your average Hollywood pulp.