Fantastic!

As Good As It Gets

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The Italian film Anita B., based on the autobiographic novel Quanta stella c'è nel cielo by Edith Bruck, tells the moving and often poignant story of a young Holocaust survivor, Anita, sent to live with her aunt Monika and uncle Aron in Czechoslovakia after the end of World War II. Even as a young adolescent, Anita survived Auschwitz, forced to watch her parents perish in the gas chambers. Although the movie does not explicitly recall the terrors Anita endured, we are given glimpses of her life in the concentration camp: at the beginning of the film, she is extraordinarily thin, has a partially shaved head, and is still branded with the tattoo she got in Auschwitz. Anita is determined not to forget her traumatic past, but she is surrounded by people who would rather move on. Her aunt Monika treats her unkindly, as a begrudging reminder of a life she would rather forget. Her uncle's brother Eli, who she begins a romantic affair with, scoffs at her need to talk about the past and tells her "it's over, forget it." The only person Anita can confide in is her young cousin Roby, who is too little to understand.The movie takes a dramatic turn when Anita realizes she is pregnant with Eli's baby. Anita insists that she wants to keep the child, but Eli is angry with her, blaming her for the pregnancy and demands she gets an abortion. At the abortion clinic, the doctor gently asks her if she loves Eli, and after thinking on it, Anita tells him she doesn't. He asks her if she would like to keep the baby, and she tells him she does. Upon waking up from the sleeping gas, Anita realizes the doctor did not perform the abortion after all. Instead, he gives her the money Eli gave to him, and tells her to use it to escape. Anita is able to join up with other Jewish refugees, and at the end of the film we see her in a caravan "traveling light" to Jerusalem; she rejoices that "her only baggage is the future."Although many films have been made recalling life in the concentration camps, fewer recount the difficulties and trauma for survivors that must return to "normal life" afterwards. Anita B. expertly conveys the struggle of a young girl who feels lost in a world she can no longer be a part of. The others in her life— her family and love interest— would rather her forget and move on, but when she attempts to do so, she realizes that she will never be happy living a life she has not chosen for herself. The movie could have ended very differently— although Eli was certainly flawed as a character, we still see that he cared for Anita. If she had been more complacent, she could have adopted a life like her Aunt Monika's: settling down, marrying Eli, and eventually having a family, all the while ignoring her past. Instead, Anita decides it would be betrayal to forget the past. She confronts it directly in escaping Eli with her unborn child, and begins the journey of creating a life for herself that she knows will make her happy. Anita B. is not merely a story about surviving, but also about thriving. We can learn a great deal from Anita's fierce dedication to pursuing freedom at all costs, both during and after World War II.

The film Anita B by Roberto Faenza is a heartwarming, dramatic masterpiece. Shortly after World War II, a young Hungarian woman named Anita leaves the concentration camp where she spent the war. Anita moves in with her aunt Monica, a woman hardened by survivor's guilt, Monica's husband, their son, and Eli, Monica's brother-in-law. While Anita tries hard to remember her past, Monica fights to forget. Anita finds solace in her friendship with Eli, which quickly escalates into an unhealthy relationship. Anita's time in Czechoslovakia is marked by heartache and growth. As Anita finds her identity, we see her confidence soar. Despite the obstacles, Anita fights for what she knows is right and refuses to ever back down.Anita B closely follows Anita's life after her time in Auschwitz. Within the first few minutes of the film, we see the look of despair on the young girl's face, despite her freedom from the concentration camp. We quickly understand that she is orphaned and, much like we will see with her aunt later, experiencing survivor's guilt. Faenza's ability to convey so much in such a small amount of time only begins to show his capacity as a director. Anita's desire to remember the events of her life set up initial conflict between her and her aunt. Monica knew the horrors of the camps, yet ignored them in an effort to suppress her true feelings about recent events.Anita turns to her friendship with Eli in an effort to find an ally. Eli provides Anita with guidance and acts as a buffer between Anita and Monica by defending and protecting her. Eli's feelings toward Anita, however, appear to grow into romantic attraction and his lack of subtlety is evident to viewers. Initially hesitant, Anita feigns sleep and laughs off his advances. While her attraction is noticeable, her insecurities dominate her mind and prevent her from moving forward. Eli is a complex character, and his previous dedication to his fiancé shows that he is capable of the kind of love Anita craves. Despite this capacity, we see Eli turn into a complacent lover. Eli is fully aware of Anita's love for him, yet acts selfishly and emotionally distant. We understand that Eli's past had a profound impact on his character, yet it is hard not to get frustrated by his actions.Anita's story is told against the beautiful background of Czechoslovakia after World War II. We see pride and shame from Jewish characters, the fear of being associated with the Nazis, and the overall degradation of certain groups. Despite living in these conditions, the undertones of strength are evident. Faenza portrays a people not broken, but reevaluating what it means to be Jewish. The hardships portrayed in the film really resonate with the audience and make deep, personal connections with viewers. This beautiful film is surely going to be a hit, and the story is so powerful that it should be retold. It is important not to ignore or forget, but to remember.

Wow, I have no idea what the rest of you saw, but I gotta agree with enrico on this one. I saw this movie when I was visiting my girlfriend during her study-abroad program in Rome. We saw it together, and after the movie ended, both had the same reaction: "...eh" Yea, the picture is, generally, 'pretty.' But honestly, the plot moves slowly, it plods through -- I cannot stress how much plodding goes on... it's boring uneventful scene after boring uneventful scene, two hours of my life that i'll never get back -- until, MAGICALLY everything resolves itself. The protagonist is an overly simplistic, naive girl -- which makes sense, I guess, since it seems like this movie was written with an audience of overly simplistic, naive girls in mind. So. Thumbs down. It's mostly the script, guys. The combination of formulaic characters AND unfortunately slow plot.

Set in post-World War II Europe, Roberto Faenza's compelling film follows the path of Anita: a fifteen-year-old Hungarian orphan and Holocaust survivor sent to live in Czechoslovakia with her only living relative, Aunt Monika. Anita falls from the grasps of Auschwitz into the threshold of a different kind of imprisonment, as she is unable to leave her new home until her papers arrive. Stuck within the confines of her aunt's house, Anita's only serious companions are Robby, Monika's baby son, and Eli, the handsome and devilish younger brother of Monika's husband. As she falls into the rhythms of the home and a budding romance with Eli, her new life appears to be set until she encounters and befriends David—a young and sincere Jewish man with dreams of a new life in Jerusalem. Now, harboring a huge secret and once again faced with the difficult decision of leaving behind all she knows, Anita must take matters into her own hands as she forges her future. Based on Edith Bruck's popular Italian autobiographical memoir, "Quanta Stella C'è Nel Cielo", the film expertly deals with the powerful and rarely depicted theme of post-Holocaust survivor's guilt. Anita, the sole survivor in her immediate family, constantly yearns to discuss her devastating past with anyone who will listen. However, her pleas fall on deaf ears. Neither Eli nor Monica, both survivors in their own right, wish to relive what happened; much to Anita's chagrin, they insist on moving forward and never addressing the past. Constantly reminded "surviving is one thing and living is another," Anita stumbles over the harrowing path of moving on, finding a confidante initially in baby Robby, and later in David. This difficult tale could not be expressed without an unbelievable and complex group of characters and actors; luckily, Faenza has both. Up-and-coming actress Eline Powell captures the title character with an intensity and honesty that resonates with anyone watching. From teenage innocence to survivor's guilt, from demons of the past to dreams of the future, Powell thoroughly explores and represents all of Anita's binary oppositions. And yet, her performance is rivaled by that of co-actor Robert Sheehan. Playing both the friend and foe, Sheehan superbly depicts Eli in all of his complexity. He pushes the character past the flirty Casanova and evil seducer to reveal a tortured soul who cares about Anita in his own, twisted way. Andrea Osvart, playing the remorseful Monika, delivers a brilliant performance and leaves the audience feeling conflicted about her unsteady relationship with her niece. This refusal to identify any character as a villain or hero is perhaps the film's most compelling element; the individuals are simply people, dealing with an incomprehensible situation in the best way they can. While Anita B. covers a dark and difficult subject, its beautiful cinematography and wide array of multifaceted characters nonetheless inspires hope. "I am traveling light from the past," the title character expresses. "My only baggage? The future."