The Time It Takes

What makes this film such an absolute (albeit heartbreaking) joy to watch is how authentic and real it is. Most modern-day films about so-called real life revolve around the chaos and tragedies young people, especially young women, create by their own bad decisions and mistakes. Not so with The Time It Takes. While no one here is perfect, the characters are very believable in their behavior. Lina, as portrayed by Nadia de Santiago (who also helped create the series) is incredibly well written, acted, and developed as a character. (as well as breathtakingly beautiful) How the character of Nico could ever drift away from her is the only unbelievable aspect of the story.

And, by the way, the unusual way of allotting time to present/past scenes, where as we go along less is covered of the past, is explained in episode 7. Pay attention to something Nico says after his father's funeral.

This is a bittersweet story that I feel is going to haunt me for some time.

The story was sad, beautiful, but most importantly realistic. I loved the actors and how REAL their love felt. Doesn't need a season two, but would definitely watch. I bingewatched this and was worth it. I recommend!

This is a pretty nice series to watch. The concept of going back and forth slowly moving from less of today and more of the past into more of today and less of the past is a great one. The episodes were too short, they could have been a little bit longer saying more of the story, some characters were simply something to add instead of having more than 2 people in the show. The acting was not bad, the actors playing the main characters seemed to have some chemistry. All was good until the scenes from India, which were not at all believable: it's not that tidy, it's not that "not crowded", it's not that free for women to walk by themselves without being harmed.

If you like movies like Marriage Story, Blue Valentine or Revolutionary Road you will almost certainly like this serie too. It's such a believable drama, every one can relate to. It also shows how men and women go through different phases getting over a breakup. It's plot is from the woman's perspective. It would be nice if there is a second season from the man's perspective.

The viewer is left thinking if she managed to get over Nico. I do think she did because women are slower bouncing back while men seems to have recovered fast, but a lot of times it is superficial.

So I hope they tell Nico's perspective on the relationship.

Somebody told me the same about grief ... remember the person each day but slightly less each time. Eventually the memories fade, and the hurt and the loss with them. Nice idea, if only life were that simple?

Lina & Nico have a painful break-up and 'The Time It Takes' recounts moments in their 10 year relationship from Lina's point of view. The novelty about this Netflix miniseries is the deliberate present-past split in its 15-minute episodes with the past counted down one minute less each time. Present becomes more and more important than past ... and Lina moves on with her life. It's an enchanting way to tell a beautifully simple albeit quite sad story ... and with a twist at the end, of course!

Nadia De Santiago & Álvaro Cervantes are excellent in the leads, well supported by the rest of the cast and some thoughtful writing (De Santiago contributed to it) in what is quite a nice low-key "don't make a big fuss" sort of production. I liked the way the past would blur into the present but with a swift return at the end of each episode as Lina faces important life choices and puts the past behind her ... or does she?!?

Other reviews point out it would be good to shoot the series again but from Nico's point of view. Presumably the program makers have already considered this logical sequel? Recommended.