Dan Fogelman is a master at crafting ensemble dramas, which is proven by his hit television series “This Is Us.” Now, Fogelman is bringing his vision to the big screen with the film “Life Itself.”
So far, the only details about the plot are that it depicts the lives of different people intersecting over the course of different generations. How these lives are being intertwined will be interesting to see. However, aside from its vague premise, an even bigger selling point has to be the amazing and diverse cast. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Annette Bening, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Laia Costa, Olivia Cooke, and Mandy Patinkin. Wow! One thing that’s certain is that even if the film falters, we know that the cast will still deliver.
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A pedigree cast like this should make the film a potential magnet for awards success. If the film has the right quality and aims for a fall festival bow, then we could see “Life Itself” become a stealth player. Although, its best bet might be its actors. Dan Fogelman has done wonders with his actors from “This Is Us” who have garnered plaudits for their work.
It also helps that some of the actors involved in “Life Itself” provide Oscar familiarity. Annette Bening and Samuel L. Jackson are Oscar nominees while Oscar Isaac is someone on the fringe of being a nominee himself. Given his meteoric star rise and his reliable acting chops, it’s crazy that Isaac doesn’t have a nomination yet. Even though the film is an ensemble piece, the trailer seems to put great emphasis on his storyline. So, maybe he has plenty of material to work with. We shall see.
“Life Itself” will be released on September 21st.
Here’s the official synopsis and trailer:
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.