The true-to-life genré has taken off in the past few years, particularly with the major success of NBC’s “This Is Us.” How fitting is it that Life Itself – a story that’s about as real as it gets – is spearheaded by the very same mind behind NBC’s hit show?!?

Dan Fogelman’s film takes us on a journey through a multi-generational – and international – story. A young couple, Will and Abby (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde), turn a college romance into marriage. They share the birth of their first child together before Abby “leaves” Will. From there, we follow an incredible roller coaster and see how life can actually be interconnected.

Life Itself is a poignant representation of how the threads of life can be interwoven. I was pleasantly surprised by the film and how it presented its story. Fogelman took great care in his presentation of the film as he has done with This Is Us – no secret, my favorite show on television right now. Although I caught on to the direction in which our story was heading, I was still taken aback by the small “twist” toward the end. It may the experience worth while.

Plot predictability aside, Life Itself is a nicely done film that earns much applause from this viewer. It could be a strong contender come awards season.

I Give It An: A