Train of Life

Another phantasmagorical tale of life among the Nazis, is upon us. This one works much better.

Every bit as reverent as "Schindler's List," and no less successful.

Gaily seduces you into its fantasy life, then whacks you over the head with a finale that, intentionally or not, functions as a rebuke to the mad optimism of Benigni's pandering film

Far superior to either "Life Is Beautiful" or "Jakob the Liar."

What saves Train of Life from sinking into sudsy Holocaust kitsch is its sustained comic buoyancy.

A merry, wistful, tear-and-a-smile romp about the Holocaust, of all things.

Even if the antic futility of attempting to get an entire shtetl to pull together in the face of genocide is your idea of a day at the races, don't laugh too hard -- the out-of-nowhere ending will make you choke on every chuckle.