O Monstro

Before ascending to his insurmountable zenith with LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (1997, 8/10), Roberto Benigni's THE MONSTER is a winsome farce about an innocent layabout Loris (Benigni) is wrongly identified as a serial women-slaughterer at large, in order to catch him red-handed, the police force assigns a young policewoman Jessica (Braschi) to go to great lengths to entice him into the irrepressible perpetration (ultimately, a red riding hood costume), therefore, a spate of funny sketches ensure while Loris' resistance is ultra-impenetrable.

Benigni is a superb comedian, a do-it-himself practitioner, skilfully concocts lewd yet never graphically offensive sex-related slapstick in this larger-than-life scenario, individually, each skit is authentically rib-tickling, the opening one which causes the false impression for the entire film, is that Loris confuses a middle-age woman Claudia (Pieri Palombi) for a nymphomaniac, and predictably his overt seduction turns into sexual harassment. It is funny no doubt, but a bit too cheesy to be taken seriously since each laughter is arbitrarily calculated, easily anticipated, and provoked by mere happenstance - this is the key tone of the film, all the antics are in your face, but you cannot complain too much since they are well-crafted.

However, the wholesomeness of the story fail to survive under the barrage of giggling-inducing escapades, there is no credible rationality in finding the whodunit, the chemistry between Loris and Jessica never reach its threshold of romance, but the husband-wife team makes it up by the synchronous walking-like-midgets loveliness, witnessed by a distinguished resident (Girotti) every time. Rest of the cast is uniformly one-dimensional yet fundamentally enjoyable, Michel Blanc is hysterical as the doctor who is determined to diagnose Loris in person, the segment where he and his pills-chomping wife Joland (Lavanant) visit Loris and Jessica for dinner is the high-water mark for paranoid ridicule. Jean-Claude Brialy is the testy proprietor, Ivano Marescotti is Loris' sole business supplier, Laurent Spielvogel is the livid police chief and Franco Mescolini is his amiable Chinese teacher, perhaps one of them is the culprit?

The exaggeration of physical gestures and the Italian style of uninterrupted monologue may not be appealing to all its audience over the world, some minor goofs (e.g. the stalking video camera is ludicrous enough to only capture Loris' escape route while completely oblivious of the chaser, the antique dealer) are to some extent detrimental to the core of the story.

On the other hand, one should not nitpick a feel-good comedy, which is the most demanding genre for filmmakers because every culture has its unique language of humor, a true universally appreciated one is like a needle in s haystack, and THE MONSTER is almost there, it is among the very rarefied above-average hierarchy to say the very least.

What Einstein did for the world of science Benigni has done for the world of cinema.

Since being captivated and devastated (in a brilliantly sad way) by "La Vita e Bella", I've been eager to seek out other Benigni films. I was thrilled to find "Johnny Stecchino" and "Il Mostro" on the shelves of my local video store.

Both are works of comedic genius! While Benigni employs very similar formulas and plot devices (mistaken identity, physical humour and petty theft) the plots are vastly different but both equally hilarious. "Il Mostro", as well as "Johnny Stecchino" will have you laughing within a minute of pressing play on your VCR. Rent these both for a night of back to back gut-busting fun!

This is one of the funniest movies of all time. Roberto Benigni is the definitive next-generation Charlie Chaplain. His use of camera angles to get the dummies in compromising positions, depending on how it's seen, and the way he can include so many different characters so effectively in the movie is amazing. My favorite scene is when the Detective is analyzing Loris when Loris leaves the restaurant. "Now he is punishing it - 'No, not in public'" and "And we can all see what this means." If you want to see it, I've seen the film at Jumbo video in the foreign films section. I advise that you go out and rent it IMMEDIATELY! I gave it a ten, and so will you.

After seeing the trailer for this film, in France and in French, I thought that it should be given a wide berth. But I watched it with a friend one night and still laugh about it 10 years later. It was brilliant. Absolute pure genius. While the scenes looked ridiculous in the trailer, they were very funny in the context of the film. The story is simple, innocent bumbler is mistaken for a serial killer, but the talent of Benigni, both in his writing and his acting, makes the error plausible and for a great film. The scene on the scaffolding is one of my all time favorite comedy moments and the several unexpected meetings with a neighbour, whilst Benigni is walking along on his haunches (trying to avoid his caretaker as he is behind in his rent)are both funny and very touching, especially when Nicoletta Braschi comes on the scene. Just watch it and enjoy. But only if it's in it's original version, Italian. Otherwise don't!

It seems that Roberto Begnini can't go wrong when it comes to comedy. In a way, he might be the last / only great comedian of our times, who writes, acts, and (usually)directs films at the same time. He alone keeps alive this classic tradition of films, which genre's rules are invented and perfected by such greatness's as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, not to mention director giant Federico Fellini. This one is also a warm-hearted, humane, and really funny, which gives an unusual yet very likable mix, especially in times of so-called humorous films with endless quantities of stupid fart jokes and toilet humor. There might be some flaws however, but none too disturbing. Recommended!