The Monster

The plot of the movie is hardly a gem, it is a comedy of errors involving Benigni as a con-man who is mistakenly identified as a serial killer the public call "il monstro" (the monster). Due to the lack of hard evidence on him, a female detective (Benigni's real life sweetheart) is sent to tempt him into a compromising situation so that the police can catch him red-handed. Predictably, the mistake is uncovered and the detective falls for him.

What is amazing about Benigni is his seeming lack of effort in drawing laughs. Many remember his antics during the Oscar acceptance speech. It is such spontaneity that makes him an excellent comedian. He also seems infused with an incredible amount of raw comedic energy that you will find refreshing. There is one scene where he recites a string of Chinese words with such passion that it must be awarded the ultimate butchery of a foreign language. And you thought he had a funny English accent.

As in "Life is Beautiful," the pair of lovebirds exude an authentic chemistry on screen. Like a transmission to an automobile, a romantic interest is indispensable to a comedy like this. The movie seems to follow the recipe down to a 'T', only in this case, the chef is so amusing that you forget that it is the same burger that you have tasted many times before.


"Loris...a normal name. It warms the heart..."   December 7, 2002
Electra83 (U.S.A)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

The Monster, or Il Mostro as it is called in Italian, is about a man named Loris who is by no means a decent human being. He steals, he lies, he cheats his landlord out of potential buyers of his apartment (yet he won't pay the rent). He places supermarket items on other shoppers at the local grocery as a way to make the alarm systems go crazy, so that he can easily get away with a coat full of stolen goods. At the same time that Loris is doing all these illegal things, another man is going around raping and killing off the female population. Due to some hilarious misunderstanding, Loris is focused in on as being the main suspect. After watching a tape that the police have made of Loris on a "normal day", it is easy to understand why. In order to catch Loris "with his hand in the cookie jar", a policewoman named Jessica is assigned as bait.
I recommend this movie to Italians who enjoy a good laugh, fans of Benigni and any one else with a sense of humor. I first saw this movie a couple of years ago at my grandparents' house. I have loved it ever since.


NEVER SEEN ANYTHING FUNNIER!!!!   June 28, 1999
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

Now THIS!!... is what you call a FUNNY MOVIE!!! You have to see it twice just to catch everything!!! Roberto, again, plays a mooching thief (same as the excellent Johnny Stecchino), and is mistaken for a serial killer. Scene after scene, his innocent mishaps suggest his perversion. There is so much fast paced humor, the "grocery store" scene, the dinner party, the chinese interview, the filmed stake-out, chain saw attack, cigarette in pants routine, the chase, the phone call using the TV remote, and more crazy scenes are all brilliant hilarious concepts. The supporting cast with the looney psychiatrist add to the whacky situations. Begnini is a genius at work, and the only comedian to come close to Roberto is the one and only "Barny Fife". It is absolutely the funniest movie I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot!! Begnini, give us more!!!


Monstrously Funny   June 5, 2000
unraveler (Nevada)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Roberto Benigni is irrepressibly hilarious in this movie. I can honestly say that for me there is never a dull moment in the movie, and I have seen it at least five times. An adventerous, cretive crook Loris, played by Benigni, is suspected of being a serial rapist and murderer. The police is closing in on him, using a soulful police detective, Jessica, played by Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi. But Jessica turns out to be a savior for Loris rather than a bait. She falls in love with his sense of humor, imagination, and kindness. In the meantime, the supposed pillars of society--the chief of police, the professor of criminal psychiatry, and the foreign language professor--turn out to be extemely flawed human beings. However, you won't leave this movie hating any of its characters. Probably not even the Chinese professor who, rationally speaking, deserves hatred from a decent human being. The magic of Benigni ensures that you have fun and a chance to reflect, but you never leave his movie with a bad taste in your mouth.

The comic scences in this movie, from beginning to end, are first rate. I have seen movies produced in all kinds of countries--and this one is one of the funniest. If you have not seen it yet, do not miss out any longer and get a copy. And believe me, it is worth seeing more than once.


GREAT SLAPSTICK   July 8, 2002
The philosopher (Mass.)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I love this sort of silly, lightweight comedy. Like many farces, the comedy comes from the misunderstandings and deceptions between characters. Although the movie is not perfect, it has some hilarious scenes that will leave you gasping for breath.

Benigni reminds me of a speaking version of Harpo Marx. Like Harpo, he is a loveable satyr and trickster. Both men are short and are not handsome, but they have wonderfully expressive faces and are masters of physical humor.

I have seen two other Benigni films: Johnny Toothpick and Life is Beautiful. The Monster and Johnny Toothpick are somewhat similar in style and content, although I prefer the former to the latter. In any case, if you enjoyed one, you probably will enjoy the other. Life is Beautiful is an entirely different sort of movie, deftly blending comedy and drama. Life is Beautiful is an outstanding film, but if that is the only film of Benigni's you have seen, you should understand that the Monster is much less serious and much more crass.