It's really more than just a good story - It's life on screen. Characters grow up, fall in and out of love, become old, meet new life-long aquantinces, die, and go through the years bit by bit, and and it's all the more affecting because you're right there with them experiencing it together. You feel like you know these people, like you've lived with them through these decades. They feel like your own family.

It's remarkable because the plotline is by regular standards, unremarkable. It's a 6 hour mega-epic about a few people's lives (although, it also touches on the social and political landscape of Italy over the last 40 years). Most of the events are completley normal for people living day to day. As well, the film is shot in as seemingly basic fashion - There's no extra style or flashy direction, the story is completley told by the people on screen. And yet, it's completley engrossing, entertaining, and simply beautiful.

The acting is spot on from every member of the huge ensemble, every character feels completley real and believable. The dialogue is always interesting and intriguing. And despite shooting in basic style, Italy still looks and feels completley beautiful. The country, the buildings, and of course, the women.

Great, great movie. I can understand the length scares people, but it's really worth a watch. It's one of the best foreign films I've seen anytime recently(normally not a fan), or hell... ever.

5/5

Italian melodrama at its finest. That's a good thing in my book. Epic in scope, intimate in execution.

Also,


I actually thought this was long because it was originally a miniseries... I don't know where I heard that.

I really need to view this again (saw it through Netflix several months ago...) as the names escape me, as well as some minor plotlines (little sister growing up...)