The Tiger and the Snow

The Tiger and the Snow **1/2

"The Tiger and the Snow" is the new film by Roberto Benigni, who many have dubbed the most annoying actor in show business. I disagree completely, and actually do find him very funny. And while "The Tiger and the Snow" is enjoyable and has moments where you literally do laugh out loud, there is an uneven amount of comedy and drama, and it doesn't blend very well at all. This is something that should have either been straight comedy or straight drama instead of trying to mesh both. Taking a look at the story, I guess there would need to be a little drama, but it should not as been as heavy as one scene ended up being-and that one scene did leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

Benigni plays Attilio de Giovanni, a poetry teacher who is actually a master of verse. Attilio has crazy dreams every night, and it's always the same thing. He is getting married to a mysterious woman that tells him how badly she wants to make love to him. And at the wedding is Tom Waits singing, but at the end of the every dream Attilio wonders where he parked his car. Attilio is being watched at school by another teacher, and the two of them have had some kind of sexual relationship in the past. But Attilio does not want to be with her, and only thinks about the woman in his dreams. We then find out that the woman in his dreams is none other than Vittoria, played by Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's real life wife who doesn't seem to get any work other than her husbands films. Vittoria and Attilio have had a relationship in the past, but she doesn't want anything to do with him. She works for Fuad, a poet and friend to Attilio. The two of them go to Iraq for business, just as the Americans begin to invade. In an explosion, Vittoria is hurt and put into a coma. Attilio is stunned by this news, and he races to Iraq(how he gets there is quite a journey) to see the woman he loves, who is bedridden and unconscious. Attilio stays by her bed day and night, doing everything he can to try and get her to wake up. And on his trip he gets into a series of adventures, mostly involving his mishaps with the American army, and even getting stuck in a mine field at one point-all because of love.

Now "The Tiger and the Snow" is a diverting little comedy, but falls slightly short of being something special. For one thing, the first fifty minutes or so seem detached from the last half-which is more of a satire on the war in Iraq. In addition to that, there are certain themes and subplots in the beginning that are never touched upon. There is a lengthy comedy scene where the teacher that wants Attilio goes to his house, puts on a movie, and begins to cook him dinner. When he comes into his apartment with Vittoria in tow, the professor sneaks away and is never seen from or heard from again. I also wanted to know a little bit more about Vittoria and Attilio. It is never really explained why she doesn't like him very much, which made his romance somewhat unbelievable. But there are moments here of true comedy gold. Benigni is like a modern day Chaplin ,getting involved in so many different situations, but always remaining innocent. His nack for comedy makes the more dramatic portions uneven with the tone of everything else. There is a bit involving suicide which seemed very unneeded, and didn't advance anything. It didn't even make me feel for anyone, it was just very strange. But I did laugh, and I laughed often too-the mine field bit was amusing, and even Attilio physical comedy in the hospital made it worthy. It may be two films in one, but they are both very funny. I just wish it decided what it wanted to be early on-a love story or a satire. Bengini tries to have it both ways, which does make it suffer a bit. This is an amusing little film to see. Maybe not to go and rush to find it, but something diverting when the weather is bad.