Life is Beautiful was good and got mainstream credit back in the day however I would say films like Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino are better. Johnny Stecchino was a great comedy as well and of course starred Roberto Begnini...
Cinema Paradiso is on my own personal list of ones to watch. But just missed out on the top 50 and then the 4 replacements. Heard some great things about it from a couple of Italian friends.
Il Postino I have heard of but I guess always avoided as I pretty much hate romantic films in general... and even a lot of good ones where it is not the main plot point but a heavy subplot I dislike that aspect.
As so few films actually portray romance well or in a close to realistic way I think. As soon as I cant really relate to people or understand why they would do something in any way during a film it loses so much impact for me, and I rarely relate to the way romance is in films! There are exceptions of course...
Then again one of my brothers has trouble with my film choices generally as anything "feel-good" or "uplifting" I have a slight aversion too... and my uplifting and fun is existentialist and generally dark, or at least "gritty", which generally is likely to trouble him at times.
When he sits at the end of a film looking emotionally exhausted and a bit white in the face with a head full of thoughts I generally just have a wry smile and a thoughtful look haha.
I am a really, really upbeat, optimistic, energetic and happy person but my absurdist leanings mean when it comes to art in general I kind of enjoy... well... stuff that to many might feel psychologically or intrinsically disturbing.
(though I dont generally like horror (well, slasher mainly) films, partially as most suck, but also as I have too active an imagination! Although there are major exceptions. The Shining is in my favourite ~10 films ever.)
