Roberto Benigni entranced me with his flawless film Life is Beautiful. Benigni possesses an offbeat humor that can take the most tragic of circumstances and engage them with the audience with an eerie lightness. It creates a combination of drama and humor that appeals to me. In Tiger and the Snow, Benigni examines love in the most unlikely of scenarios.
Tiger and the Snow follows an Italian poet named Attilio de Giovani, a divorcee who frequently dreams of marriage to the love of his life (Vittoria, played by Nicoletta Braschi), with constant interruption that never allows completion of his vows. Attilio has two wonderful daughters, who share time at his house. They are far more grounded, keeping the scatter-brained poet on track and on time. When Attilio isn't looking for his car, he is running late for an appointment in a constant cycle of flightiness.
Attilio has a grasp of language that equals his incredible luck. As a child, a bird landed on his shoulder creating a sense of unity with the lad. While attempting to explain his incredible luck to his mother, the young Attilio fails to grip her with his story because he lacks the verbal skills to capture his mother's attention. It is this event that causes Attilio to learn how to master language. He tells his daughters "There must be people whose job it is to use the right words, put things in a way who, when their heart beats, can get other people's hearts to beat." That language is evident through his many gifted conversations that allow him to accomplish the impossible.
Attilio's dumb luck is a combination of his gifts for language as much as it is a harmony with the universe. Attilio possesses a passion for life and love that is evident in everything he does. Every word contains a flair that conveys an outpouring of his soul in even the most menial of conversations. When Attilio's love is severely injured in Baghdad, at the height of the Iraq war, he finds a way to travel to Iraq to attend her needs. Aided by his good friend and author Fuad (Jean Reno), Attilio overcomes the obstacles of a war zone to heal his love.
Roberto Benigni co-wrote Tiger and the Snow with Vincenzo Cerami. The most compelling aspect of the script is the dialogue, which is nothing, if not original. The fresh use of language infused with incredible passion paints pictures on the imagination. Benigni has an incredible capacity for searing home his points through the use of verbal imagery. There are several characters in the film, but Attilio is, by far, the central role. His character is rich and deep and especially enjoyable. The surrounding characters are a bit flatter, with the possible exception of Vittoria (who spends a great deal of the film in a coma). The plot is completely impossible, but that is Benigni's style. Like Life is Beautiful, it is impossible to flounder around in a war zone undetected...a concept borrowed again for this film. Suspend your disbelief and you will be thoroughly entertained.
As the central character, Roberto Benigni must carry this film. He does it effortlessly. Benigni has a strange comic sense that has a bit of Jerry Lewis but more frenetic. There seems to be a Woody Allen (who I do not like) quality that Benigni does well. It is hard to capture Benigni's style through comparison, because he is unique as an actor and comedian. His style is fast-paced, intelligent, zany and verbally proficient. The combination entertains me because there is so much going on all the time, it almost feels like an action film...but mentally. Benigni's performance carries the film, but he is supported by another excellent showing by Braschi. I also enjoyed Jean Reno as the Iraqi author. His screen time was limited, but flawless. The film had a small cast that were exceptional. Tom Waits also has a cameo as himself, singing You Can Never Hold Back Spring in Attilio's dream sequences.
Tiger and the Snow was not quite as complete as Life is Beautiful. I was not put off by the improbability of the events, because that is Benigni's style. The dialogue was flawless, the concept original and the characters unique. I thought some of the other characters could have been developed more, but part of the story includes a surprise ending, which requires limited exposure to Vittoria. Waite's music provided a pleasant backdrop for the story. There were some scenes that depicted the war in Iraq a bit stereo-typically, but that was also a method for facilitating the story Benigni is telling. Although not perfect, Tiger and the Snow appealed to me from start to finish. I would highly recommend this unique film packed with rich dialogue. 7.5/10.
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