My Brilliant Friend

I thoroughly enjoyed this first series of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND. The casting was a little awkward, matching up the young then the teenage actors, but the performances soon swept you along. (My only advice is keep track of the family units.) Complex story telling. Informative look at the working poor in the 50s and 60s post-war Italy. Some twists you don't expect, but an intimate look at friendship. Can't wait for series two next fall (possibility of 4 series that will follow the quintet of books). I give this first series an 8 (great) out of 10. [Drama]

Having finished the entirety of My Brilliant Friend, I am fairly impressed. This story follows two girls in a poor village in Italy, both smart and literary. However, one is forced to forego her potential due to her circumstances, while the other attempts to make the most out of her intelligence. The show jumps through multiple decades, jumping through time at multiple points in the story, with the lead character being portrayed by no less than 4 actresses at multiple points in her life. The show illustrates the changes in Italy throughout these decades as well as the growth of a slew of characters from the village, touching on multiple themes including political movements and resistance, economic and class strife, and gender dynamics in a domestic and academic and economic sense. However, the crux of this story is the friendship between its two core characters, the way they fight due to jealousy yet continuously return to a sense of mutual respect and support. It's a monumental achievement when taken as a whole even if the show fumbles every now and then.