The Lying Life of Adults review: Loses its charm towards the end

In ‘The Lying Life of Adults’, Giovanna learns to find her true self when she meets her aunt, who, according to her parents, is no less than a monster. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Giovanna faces resentment from her parents when she fails in every subject at school. Her father, André, starts comparing Giovanna to his sister, Vittoria.

André claims that Giovanna is a spitting image of her. Upon overhearing their conversation about her and her aunt, Giovanna looks into her father’s old pictures, hoping to figure out whether she resembles her aunt or not.

André eventually finds out that Giovanna is upset over his comment and assures her that she is nothing like his sister. He volunteers to take her to Vittoria. At the same time, he asks her not to listen to what she says. He is afraid that she will use his daughter against him.

Giovanna meets Vittoria, and spending time with her helps her see two sides of the story. She realizes that Vittoria is unlike what her father described.

Vittoria teaches Giovanna a thing or two about adults, and her words stay with Giovanna, who soon starts acquiring her aunt’s traits.

Performances

Giordana Marengo brilliantly captures the naivety of Giovanna, who is still figuring out life as a teenager.

Marengo is able to look innocent in the first half, in which Giovanna is still curious about life and her aunt. Then, when her character finally starts picking up Vittoria’s attributes, Marengo brings a monster performance to the strong and confident version of Giovanna.

The show introduces Valeria Golino, who plays Aunt Vittoria, as a lead character, but she takes a backseat towards the end. Despite that, Golino gives her heart to the role.

She can make viewers feel for her when she is grieving for Enzo or caring for Giovanna, and at the same time, she can make them applaud her when she is showing someone their place.

Positives

Giovanna, as a character, and her story is one to watch unfold for sure. The show makes it evident from the start. Even if this story feels like something heard before, Giovanna has these naive traits that make one curious about what her next step would be.

The show gives a brief amount of time to each and every scene. The characters and the story develop at a steady pace.

The supporting characters are written well, and they grow on the viewer. They are not at all the typical best friends or love interests of the lead character with those usual traits.

Apart from the characters, the show creates an environment for teenagers in Naples that is warm but also hostile sometimes.

When Giovanna describes the Pianto, one can imagine what living there would feel like. It’s definitely unlike Naples, as described by Giovanna.

Negatives

One can’t help but admit that ‘The Lying Life of Adults’ comes with the same problems a teenager faces in every other teen drama. The show is comprised of the same struggles of growing up, facing their parent’s divorce, and dealing with loneliness.

It’s Giovanna’s character that saves the day here, but sometimes even Giovanna’s decisions are questionable. She opts for the worst ones despite having a guide like Vittoria. Supporting characters like Giuliana end up becoming more likable than Giovanna toward the end.

Despite having a steady pace, the show has relied on some fillers. For example, the fourth episode feels like a big stretch where the show has become comfortable with its current scenario and is not opting to develop the story.

Lastly, after portraying every other problem Giovanna is facing, the show struggles to address the message it wants to give the viewers at the end. It’s hard to figure out what Giovanna desires and where she is headed in life.

Verdict

‘The Lying Life of Adults’ is a show best watched if one is looking specifically for a teen drama, which is more or less like the other shows in the same genre.

Having nothing new to offer, the show mostly relies on its character work and the environment of Naples from the 1990s.

The Lying Life of Adults
The Lying Life of Adults review: Loses its charm towards the end 1

Director: Edoardo De Angelis

Date Created: 2023-01-04 13:30

Editor's Rating:
3

Also Read: The Lying Life of Adults ending explained: Do Giovanna and Vittoria reconcile?

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