#TIFF18: “LIFE ITSELF” REVIEW

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

After dominating the TV landscape with This Is Us, Writer/Director Dan Fogelman has the big screen in his sights as he presented the World Premiere of Life Itself at TIFF. The Film is a multi-generational story revolving around two families and how they cope with tragedy, happiness and everything in-between.

Having watched This Is Us, I was prepared for melodrama, lengthy monologues and sheer moments of emotional devastation. All of these elements are accounted for over the course of Life Itself multiple times over, with some being a lot less effective than others. But what sets it apart from the popular Series is the pitch-black humour and surprisingly vulgar Script. Both are honest, unflinching and at times, shocking. The problem with all of this is that Fogelman never nails down a proper tone, which makes some scenes come off more awkward than they do genuine. The cast takes it in stride though, committing to every ludicrous plot turn Fogelman throws at them. Just be sure to bring a Kleenex box when you watch it.

Life, Itself screens on Saturday, September 9 at 6:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall and 8:00 PM at Elgin Theatre, and Monday, September 10 at 9:30 AM at Elgin Theatre.

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “LIFE ITSELF”

From the same man who brought us acclaimed TV Series THIS IS US, Dan Fogelman, comes LIFE ITSELF! See the new Trailer for the touching Film which hits theatres this fall!

Synopsis:
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 in Life Itself. Director and writer Dan Fogelman (“This Is Us”) examines the perils and rewards of everyday life in a multigenerational saga featuring an international ensemble including Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Olivia Cooke, Sergio Peris- Mencheta, Laia Costa, Alex Monner and Mandy Patinkin. Set in New York City and Carmona, Spain, Life Itself celebrates the human condition and all of its complications with humor, poignancy and love..

 

See the Trailer:

 

VVS Films release LIFE ITSELF Friday, September 21, 2018.

 

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “LIFE ITSELF” STARRING OSCAR ISAAC

With a standout Cast to its credit, LIFE ITSELF is due to hit theatres this fall. See the Trailer for the Film brought to us from the same man who brought us This is Us, Dan Fogelman.

Synopsis:
Life Itself centers on a couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde) that lead a multi generational love story spanning both decades and continents, from the streets of New York to the Spanish countryside, and are all connected by a single event.

 

See the Trailer:

 

VVS Films release LIFE ITSELF Friday, September 21, 2018. Hmmm… TIFF ’18?

 

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)