Review of Life in a Day (2011) by Andrew L — 27 Nov 2012

Like I am fond of saying, some times the simplest ideas are the best which is definitely the case with the highly endearing documentary "Life in a Day" which is composed of submissions shot across the globe on July 24, 2010 and then edited into a manageable and meaningful whole.

At first, "Life in a Day" starts in the predawn hours before centering on people waking up and starting their days, with a great edit from a cow being milked to milk arriving on a doorstep. Since this is a Saturday, the emphasis is more on play than work, although there is plenty of that, too, in Dubai, for example. Otherwise, for the most part, the documentary eschews specific locations but we do get Kathmandu, New York, Chicago, Roanoke, Va and tragically enough in Duisburg, Germany where so many lost their lives in that year's 'Love Parade' concert. Otherwise, what is of interest here are smaller personal moments like a first shave, an elderly couple renewing their vows, a first date, a young man coming out to his grandmother and, of course, a wedding proposal. People come and go, mostly not to be seen again, although there is the seriously ill mother and the Korean man who rides his bicycle around the world which best exemplifies the movie's global themes.