Review of Life Itself (2018) by Victor L — 23 Sep 2018

Wow.. all these "critics" need to get over themselves!! I don't know which big name critic initially poo-pooed this film, and made all the wannabes jump on the bandwagon, but what I do know is that most of the bad reviews are rubbish and for whatever ever reason, it's drag-Fogelman-through-the-dirt season.

See here's the thing... I'm no Fogelman fan, I don't watch This is Us, and I'm not really a tear-jerker fan... I don't remember characters names very well, and have a hard time following when movies jump around.

Usually, about halfway through a drama I'm asking myself "where is this going?"... All that said, I thought this movie was pretty damn good. A good message told through a very moving and interestingly put together tale of essentially two families.

.. not crazy multiple disparate stories crammed together as these too-smart-for-thier-own-good critics would have you believe. Is the story mind-blowingly nuanced and deep? Not really. Are some of the emotion-inducing tropes blunt and jarring? Sure.

Could elements of the plot be predictable or far-fetched? Maybe. But overall, this film is a well acted (from A-list cast to newcoming youngsters) well shot and edited, thought-provoking story of relatable characters that conveys an uplifting message (if you're not too busy trying to outsmart it or repel it with your shield of cynicism).

.. what more do you want? Truth be told, I'd actually give this more like four stars, but I feel the need to counteract all these rotten reviews.