Written & Directed by: Dan Fogelman
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Olivia Cooke, Sergio Peris- Mencheta, Laia Costa, Alex Monner, Jean Smart, Mandy Patinkin
I don’t really know why I liked this movie. Its story structure is strangely different; it’s more than a bit pretentious, very manipulative, super “dark and shocking” at times, plays hard with your emotions, is definitely a “tear-jerker,” and yet once you immerse yourself in this multi-generational tale it’s strangely compelling.
That, I think is precisely what was intended to happen to you as you watch this five chapter, duo language dramatic journey. It tries to illustrate that life is most likely made up of multiple coincidences that lead to conclusions that can and will echo through generations.
It’s a great big ‘what if ‘ scenario attached to the foibles of where, what, and how life can throw curves at you and leave you with probable and sometime preordained ways of dealing with them.
Here’s The Storyline
As a distraught Will (Isaac), under psychological care, relates his and Abby’s (Wilde) life story from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, a shocking and unexpected twist sets off a series of life journeys that reverberate over continents, through time, and ultimately effects multiple lives.
It is a tale of love, loss, tragedy, heartbreak, hope and rebirth set in New York City and Carmona, Spain. Life Itself celebrates the human condition and all of its complications with humor, poignancy and love.
Writer/Director Fogelman is no stranger to film projects, he’s written the movies Crazy Stupid Love, Cars, and Tangled, and directed the star vehicles Danny Collins with Al Pacino, and The Guilt Trip with Barbra Streisand. However, Fogelman is best known as the creator of NBC’s Emmy winning hit show This Is Us
For Life Itself, he has assembled a superb ensemble cast, one of the best ever, to tell this twisting, turning, emotional story. I use the word ensemble, because every single actor in this film is just so darn good. It’s hard to point to any one actor and say “Wow” they were great because they all were.
I especially loved watching Antonio Banderas as a Spanish land baron, and the beautiful Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel) once again proves she’s an actor of great depth and force to be reckoned with.
My take… It’s an adult film, and I enjoyed the experience of it. It’s also different and will challenge you as a viewer. If you’ve been missing a good drama, you should like this one.
