As one of the most popular and acclaimed musical artists of the 21st century, Michael Bublé has brought joy to millions with his smooth vocals and charming personality. But when he’s not selling out arenas or topping the charts, Bublé enjoys kicking back and watching some of his favorite films just like the rest of us. And there’s one comedy in particular that Bublé has repeatedly singled out as being “the funniest movie of all time” – the 1997 Italian tragicomedy Life is Beautiful.

Directed by and starring the brilliant Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful remains one of the most unique and emotionally powerful comedies ever made. The film tells the story of Guido Orefice, an Italian Jewish man who uses his whimsical imagination and sense of humor to shield his young son Joshua from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Bublé has professed his love for Life is Beautiful many times over the years, praising its masterful blend of laughter and tears. So let’s take a deeper look at why this poignant Oscar winner stands out as Michael Bublé’s personal pick for the funniest movie of all time.

The Story and Characters Resonate with Bublé’s Values

While on the surface Life is Beautiful may seem like an odd choice for someone’s favorite comedy, the film’s underlying messages clearly resonate with Michael Bublé on a personal level. Despite containing dramatic elements, at its core Life is Beautiful is a story of hope, love, and resilience – values that Bublé holds dear and strives to promote with his music.

Protagonist Guido Orefice represents these values to the highest degree. Played with heartbreaking sincerity by writer/director Benigni, Guido maintains an unflappably upbeat spirit as he’s sent to a Nazi death camp, using humor and imagination to distract his young son from the nightmarish reality surrounding them. Bublé has called Benigni’s performance “inspiring” and Guido one of his “favorite characters in film history,” moved by his commitment to sheltering his child’s innocence amidst unthinkable circumstances.

So while Life is Beautiful tackles profound subject matter, it resonates with Bublé because of its life-affirming message and inspirational character that align with his own positive worldview. Benigni crafts a painful story into a beautiful tribute to the power of hope and love – the kinds of themes we also hear in Bublé’s songs.

It Flawlessly Balances Comedy and Drama

Very few films can successfully induce tears of both laughter and sorrow from audiences. But Roberto Benigni’s brilliant writing and directing achieves this delicate balance in spades throughout Life is Beautiful. The first half of the movie is a charming screwball comedy about Guido’s misadventures wooing his future wife Dora, full of wild physical humor and laugh-out-loud moments.

Then when the setting shifts to the concentration camp, Benigni navigates the devastating scenario with Wales sensibilities, never losing sight of the uplifting spirit amidst the inhumanity. According to Bublé, “It’s so hard for a movie to make you hysterical one minute and sobbing the next, and do it so seamlessly. That’s why Life is Beautiful is such a masterpiece.”

Indeed, the film is a rollercoaster ride between giggles and tears, with Guido’s humorous schemes to protect his son acting as the narrative thread tying the divergent tones together. This tricky combination of comedy and drama requires virtuoso directing and performances to work properly, and Benigni clearly knocks it out of the park, which is why Bublé finds it so remarkable. The emotions it elicits feel well-earned because of how skillfully Life is Beautiful jumps from funny to sad without missing a beat.

Roberto Benigni’s Performance is Mesmerizing

While the writing and direction make Life is Beautiful a masterwork, Roberto Benigni’s tour-de-force performance as Guido gives the film its magical soul. Few actors have the ability to portray sincere heartache and boundless humor in equal measure like Benigni does here. Michael Bublé says Benigni delivers one of his “favorite acting performances of all time” in Life is Beautiful, engrossed by the unique sensibilities he brought to the difficult lead role.

Benigni’s natural physical charisma and comedic background make him perfectly cast as the energetic and jokester Guido in the early scenes, charmingly wooing Dora and getting into amusing misadventures. As endearing as he is in the funnier moments, the real magic is when Benigni combines the humor with profound sadness once the setting turns to the concentration camp. We feel Guido’s internal devastation, even as he masks it behind a humor façade for his son’s sake.

Very few actors could make you laugh while breaking your heart simultaneously. Bublé marvels at how Benigni’s acting elicits “such an emotional rollercoaster,” ranging effortlessly between spirited comedy and deep tragedy from scene to scene. It’s an extraordinary performance only an innovator like Benigni could give.

It Captures the Beauty in Life’s Darkest Moments

Despite the horrific Holocaust backdrop, Life is Beautiful is arguably one of the most life-affirming films ever made. A major source of the film’s lasting power is how it captures glimpses of hope, joy and morality even in the darkest of circumstances. Michael Bublé has noted that the film’s ability to unveil “beauty and dignity in mankind during an awful time” deeply resonates with him.

Although the characters are entrapped in a bleak and evil environment, Guido’s love for his son shines through as a saving grace. The humor and imagination Guido employs to protect Joshua’s innocence, even as death surrounds them, represents the triumph of human spirit over the darkest aspects of humanity.

Life is Beautiful illustrates how kindness, hope and imagination cannot be extinguished even in the most appalling of contexts. The film’s inherent message, as Bublé observes, is that “love and laughter can be found anywhere if you have an open heart.” By revealing glimmers of light amidst great tragedy, Life is Beautiful delivers a perspective changing message that clearly resonates deeply with Bublé.

It Explores Holocaust History through a New Lens

Very few comedies have dared to incorporate the Holocaust within the plot. But rather than feeling exploitative, Life is Beautiful handles the weighty subject matter with nuance, presenting audiences with a fascinating new perspective. Michael Bublé has praised the film’s ability to explore the Holocaust in a refreshing dramatic lens, calling it “educational in the most entertaining way”.

Unlike more conventional Holocaust films that rightfully take an earnest dramatic approach, Life is Beautiful’s blend of comedy creates an accessible entry point to this devastating history. We experience the horrors of Nazi occupation through the innocent perspective of young Joshua, with Guido’s humorous schemes relieving some of the direct intensity – while still not undermining the awful reality.

Bublé recognizes that by daringly playing Holocaust tragedy for both comedy and drama, engaging audiences emotionally on multiple levels, Life is Beautiful brings “a completely unique voice to such an important historical event.” It reminds us that human stories exist even in the darkest of epochs, told here with a memorable tone befitting the brilliant Benigni’s vision.

The Score and Cinematography Pull You In

Being set in World War II Italy, Life is Beautiful required a visual and musical backdrop to match the emotional potency of the story. Bublé has praised both the film’s sweeping cinematography and elegiac orchestral score for their key roles in making Life is Beautiful feel so cinematically rich.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli capturing Guido’s journey from whimsical humor to haunting tragedy with beautifully composed shots that Michael Bublé says “immerse you into the experience.” Sweeping camera moves across Guido and Dora’s quaint Italian town early on shifts to static shots inside the concentration camp ratcheting up the tension. The striking visuals pair with the emotions on screen enhancing them.

Equally as powerful is the orchestral score by legendary composer Nicola Piovani that complements the emotional arcs of each scene. The music swells from whimsical piano lines during Guido’s humorous exploits to lush violin arrangements as Guido grapples internally with protecting his son amid tragic circumstances. Bublé notes that Piovani’s score is “pure magic” and an essential ingredient in the film’s rousing emotional impact.

It Features Endlessly Quotable Dialogue

While Life is Beautiful tackles profound themes, another aspect Michael Bublé loves is how eminently quotable the clever script is. Benigni crafts poetic dialogue and monologues for Guido that make you laugh, cry and reflect long after the credits roll.

Bublé has highlighted Guido’s saying “this is my story…” as encapsulating how he uses imagination and storytelling to reframe challenges into adventures for his son. The line “We laugh so we won’t cry” sums up Guido’s approach maintaining optimism against all odds. And his heartbreaking speech about “winning the prize” remains one of the most devastating and beautiful monologues in cinema.

According to Bublé, “Guido has so many instantly iconic lines that capture his spirit and the film’s themes.” The wonderfully written dialogue is both profound and highly quotable, ensuring Life is Beautiful’s most moving moments indelibly etch themselves into the memories of audiences.

It Marks the Height of Roberto Benigni’s Career

While beloved in Italy beforehand, Life is Beautiful represents the peak of actor/director Roberto Benigni’s monumental international career. He poured every ounce of his filmmaking talents into the project, which ended up winning multiple Oscars including Best Foreign Language Film, Best Actor for Benigni, and Best Original Dramatic Score.

Bublé expressed that “you can just tell this was Benigni’s masterpiece and labor of love.” The wild success of Life is Beautiful opened Benigni up to a worldwide audience who got to experience his infectious humor and heartbreaking dramatic skills. Though he’d made some acclaimed works previously, this Holocaust fairy tale remains Benigni’s defining work that cemented him as a cinematic great.

Life is Beautiful also marked the height of Benigni’s auteur filmmaking style on an international stage. His innovative tragicomic vision successfully molded weighty themes into an artistic, humanistic story accessible for all audiences. According to Bublé, “No one but Benigni could have pulled off that perfect alchemy of laughter and tears.” For these reasons, it makes sense why for Michael Bublé and countless others, Life is Beautiful stands out as Roberto Benigni’s crowning directorial achievement.

It Left a Major Cultural Impact

Very few foreign language films have ever achieved mainstream success on the level of Life is Beautiful. The film was not only a box office smash in Italy, but also won the hearts of audiences worldwide, grossing over $225 million globally. With comedy universally translating across cultures, the film’s ability to find humor and humanity amid tragedy clearly resonated at the time.

Bublé has said, “I remember even as a kid hearing about this unique Italian movie that made people laugh and cry. It felt like a cultural sensation.” Indeed, Life is Beautiful penetrated the pop culture zeitgeist in a way few subtitled films had before, inspiring countless tributes, parodies, and award show sketches.

According to Bublé, “You can’t underestimate the cultural footprint Life is Beautiful made. It opened up audiences to foreign cinema and proved a tragicomedy can be a work of art.” More than just a great film, Life is Beautiful became a landmark work that influenced wider trends in filmmaking and culture itself.

It Appeals to Both Adults and Families

Family films that can engage both kids and adult audiences are rare, but Life is Beautiful pulls off the feat amazingly well. Young Joshua’s perspective allows child viewers to connect with the film, while the heavy themes resonate powerfully with adults. Bublé has said the multi-generational appeal of Life is Beautiful makes it a special film experience for the whole family to enjoy together.

The film takes audiences of all ages on a tonal rollercoaster ride that keeps things unpredictable from scene to scene. Silly physical comedy caters directly to kids’ funny bones. Then Guido’s devastating sacrifice leaves the grown-ups reaching for the tissues. Such diverse combination of elements allows each demographic to take away something meaningful.

According to Bublé, “There’s very few movies loved equally by parents and children, but Life is Beautiful is it.” The film treats children as equals in intelligence, not talking down to them in communicating Holocaust history, while giving adults an imaginative perspective on trauma to reflect on. This rare dual audience engagement helps explain Life is Beautiful’s universal acclaim.

Over his illustrious career, Michael Bublé has sung the praises of many great films he admires. But when asked to name the funniest film of all time, he doesn’t hesitate to highlight Life is Beautiful. It’s easy to understand why this extraordinary tragicomic fable resonates so deeply with Bublé, containing a profound message of optimism and love even in the darkest of places.

With its virtuoso direction by Roberto Benigni, heartrending acting, and masterful balance of comedy and drama, Life is Beautiful delivers a one-of-a-kind emotional experience. The film provides a perspective on the Holocaust not seen in cinema before or since, reminding us that humor can exist alongside tragedy. For these reasons and more, it’s clear why Michael Bublé sees Life is Beautiful as a definitive comedic masterpiece that will never stop inspiring laughter, tears and hope.