Movie Review - Life Itself
Typically, I don't read other critics' reviews before writing my own. However, I felt compelled to do so after seeing a blurb that condemned Life Itself to the fiery pits of Hell. I do not agree.
I have to say that disagreeing with the 'professional' critics makes me ever so eager to write my own review, where I can pan the critics who panned the movie. One critic's review was so filled with verbosity that I have to wonder if the review was actually written as a dissertation for a Doctor of Philosophy degree. But I digress.
I enjoyed this movie based on its own merits; the directing was good, the acting was above par, and writing, even though not Oscar worthy, was quite good. The numerous flash back and flash forward scenes could be frustrating, but were still creatively done.
What I took away from this movie was a sense of 'cause and effect'. What if a character made a different decision, if they had gone in a different direction? Just one small change, and everyone lives or everyone dies. Something as small as a decision to take a bus changes the entire complexion of the movie.
So, in a nutshell, don't be swayed by the negative reviews. If you're on the fence about Life Itself, make your own path and go see this movie.
Grade: C+
About the Peetimes: There are a lot of flashbacks in this movie, which made it a little difficult to get good Peetimes. However, since the movie did move a bit slowly, the Peetimes are easily summed up in the synopsis.