La vida misma

I was hesitant to invest the time in this film after reading critic reviews but I can absolutely say they were truly too harsh with Life Itself. No surprise but it's very reminiscent of 'This Is Us' and instead of an episodic narrative it's condensed to a two hour multi-chaptered film. While it did feel closer to three hours at points, there's a clear disconnect between the current reviews and the actual film performance. It was very emotional and most of the movie I had a lump in my throat. The way it's structured it's almost like three movies in one but the way it all comes together was so fascinating to watch as an audience member. My vote is you give it a shot, it's a really creative story.

Once every 10 years or so a movie like this comes along and reaches into your chest and rips your heart out. It shows it to you - bloody and still beating. It is brutal, relentless, and beautiful, and it is a work of art.

There is so much going on, I honestly don't have to words. Breaking down the narrative would be a crime.

I can only say that it's almost gothic in form. Though sentimental, it's never naive.

I loved every minute of this movie.

Unpredictable, emotional, well- written dialogue, heart felt performances. When I read the bad reviews I was in shock. How can anybody not love this movie ? It touches on the essence of relationships, from the happy moments to the tragic moments. Please ignore the bad reviews and give this movie a chance. It deserves it.

At the time when I watched this, the rating was 6.6. I hope it gets higher after people discover more of Dan Fogelman thanks to This Is Us, because this rating is just not fair.

I do not agree with the reviews that say this movie is "This Is Us in 2 hours." Though I do love the show, this movie is something else in itself, and it deserves to be recognized for it.

What it tackles is 'life itself' with all its ups and downs, and believe me, I'm no mushy romance lover. It's far from being sappy, it's so on point, subtle and down-to-earth that I have difficulty defining it as just another romantic movie or a typical drama. There were parts that I literally cried out in awe, covered my eyes in fear, or sat on the edge of my seat like it's one of those almost-frustrating thriller movies that slap you in the face at every turn. Of course it has its bittersweet moments, but I think this movie deserves a chance--and a higher rating--even from the harshest critics and cynics.

RANT WARNING:

I have incredibly mixed feelings on this movie.

On one hand, ya, I see why it has a less the 15% score on rotten tomatoes. No spoilers, but there's a major plot point near the end that you really need to suspend belief in reality to believe, within a movie that is so incredibly grounded in its graphic portrayal of reality, both mundane and intense. Additionally, it's pretty sappy, and essentially a 2 hour version of This is Us.

On the other hand, I've been buying up all available stock in Oscar Isaac ever since Inside Llewin Davis, and in Olivia Cooke ever since Thoroughbreds, and this movie only cements them as my first round picks if there were ever a fantasy football style league for actors. And also this: this movie did to me what really all movies are aiming to do. It gripped me intensely for two hours, it made me feel deeply, and here I am 6 hours later, still thinking about it. So really what else matters. Sometimes I get caught up in making sure my opinion of a movie lives up to what I think a movie should critically be without looking at what the movie actually is. I refuse to do that with this movie. I liked it and the people in it. Screw the rest. 9/10