← Back to results
Life Itself
2018 118 min Spain, United States of America R 18+
★5.8
Drama, Romance
Director: Dan Fogelman
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
Teaser
Teaser
Description
As a young New York couple goes from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, the unexpected twists of their journey create reverberations that echo over continents and through lifetimes.
Budget:
$10M
US Gross:
$4.1M
Worldwide:
$8M
Starring
Oscar Isaac
Actor
Olivia Wilde
Actor
Annette Bening
Actor
Awards
2 wins & 4 nominations total
Key opinion
Life Itself is a divisive, multi-generational drama that attempts to weave fragmented narratives into a cohesive exploration of fate and resilience. While some viewers praise its ambitious emotional scope and strong ensemble performances, others find the narrative structure manipulative and disjointed.
| Acting | The film features a strong ensemble cast including Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, and Antonio Banderas, who elevate the material through their performances. | |
| Pacing | The narrative structure is intentionally complex and non-linear, which many viewers find confusing and slow-moving during the first act before the pieces eventually fit together. | |
| Emotion | The film employs highly polarizing emotional tactics; some audience members find the ending deeply motivational and cathartic, while others view the plot twists as manipulative and contrived. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography and visual language effectively bridge the gap between New York and Spain, using color and lighting to underscore the interconnectedness of the characters' tragedies. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay's attempt to link various life stories into a grand, thematic puzzle is perceived by some as profound and life-affirming, but dismissed by others as lacking coherent meaning or depth. |