This film, being on the top of many critics top decade lists, is phenomenal. Without a completely solid plot it’s surprising that it is such an excellent movie. It tells the story of this group of people simply living their lives. Through their lives the audience is able to grasp introspective themes and emotions in a very personal way. It relates the story of these people to us by putting them in situations we all can relate to.

The film blends these different themes and plot lines seamlessly and the editing stands out as a masterful aspect of the film. It makes this 3 hour drama interesting, when it could’ve been the complete opposite. There are a multitude of themes running throughout the film and they are all excellently developed and easily understood. It seems the main theme is trying to convey is how we live each day of our lives, and if each day is a new day we shouldn’t be afraid to make a change, to break out of our routines, and experience life. The coma which the grandmother falls into catapults this perspective into action and we are able to witness how it changes these people’s lives for the better and for the worse. It then assures us that it’s necessary to take the good with the bad, and that is what will cause growth in us.

The film had excellent acting to present these themes and an excellent screenplay to guide the actors. The cinematography is outstanding and gives us scenes which really are a joy to watch. I really enjoyed it even though it was slow moving at times. It also had aspects of the plot I wish it would’ve developed more thoroughly because they interested me more than the ones which were excessively developed. It had an absolutely beautiful ending.