Guido is a charming Jewish man living in Italy during the rise of Fascism. His natural qualities allow him to put together a beautiful family, but soon he and his loved ones are shipped to a concentration camp and put into mortal danger. Guido never loses his cleverness, humor, or hope, protecting his young son from the horrors of the Holocaust by pretending that the whole affair is a game. The movie’s title sums up Guido’s approach to life.