The latest in my quest to view Best Actor Winners:
Actor: Roberto Benigni
Film: Life is Beautiful
Director: Roberto Benigni
Year: 1998
Also Nominated:
Tom Hanks - Saving Private Ryan
Ian McKellan - Gods and Monsters
Nick Nolte - Affliction
Edward Norton - American History X
While Saving Private Ryan and Shakespeare in Love were dominating the Best Picture race in the winter of 1999, Roberto Benigni's personality dominated the rest of the awards season. A physical comedian out of Italy, Benigni quickly became a household name in America based on his melancholy World War II film about a man protecting his son in a concentration camp in the waning days of the war. I'm going try to refrain from comment on the movie, despite Benigni's performance being key to the overall theme and intent of the story (Benigni wrote and directed).
Benigni delivered one of Oscar's more memorable Oscar moments jumping on seats after his victory, a reaction that seemed just as calculated as his performance. The problem with performers begging for attention like Benigni is its difficult to decipher their personality, as so much of what they do is calculated and about the creation of false personas. As a result the first half of the movie we only get to see Benigni hamming it up without any real characterization. When it is needed to care about his character later the lack of characterization serves as a weakness to the movie, as we don't identify with Benigni's character. There is a certain desperation to Benigni's character but only derives from the film's setting. The lasting result is an unworthy winning performance.
Benigni was supposed to have a successful career following Life is Beautiful, but people quickly cooled on his antics. Benigni's follow up was the bomb Pinocchio, which garnered serious Razzie consideration. Instead the Academy could've given the award to Tom Hanks, much better in Saving Private Ryan than his Oscar winning performances, or to Edward Norton's searing turn in American History X. Instead we're left with one of the more undeserving actor wins of recent memory.
Other Wins:
Best Actor: BAFTA
Nominated Best Actor: Chicago Film Critics
Best Actor: Las Vegas Film Critics
Best Actor: SAG
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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The Norton thing still stings, thank you very much. I wouldn't mind Life is Beautiful so much--because it really is a good movie--if it hadn't been for that.
ReplyDeleteBenigni was very deserving. Life is Beautiful can make you laugh and cry. It was not a comedy but a drama with funny moments. I have seen all those films that the actors were nominated for, and none touched me the way Benigni did. SAG awards are chosen by fellow actors so even his fellow actors thought he was incredible, and with the Oscar the Academy of Motion picture Arts and Science chooses that which is made up of everyone in the film industry, including fellow actors, directors, cinematographers etc etc. Also Benigni said he got MANY offers from international market but wanted to remain in Italy and work on his own projects.
ReplyDeleteI love it.
ReplyDelete