My Brilliant Friend: a lovely Italian friendship (my TV show review)

Hello friends!

What a TV show I have watched. I love to be surprised by good stories and this one is really special and touching. And the interesting point is that previously I have read the books in which has been inspired and you know, sometimes we prefer the books because later the adaptation to TV is not as we imagined, but this time in my opinion they have done a good job and I have enjoyed it during the four seasons.
So I want to share here my review and explaining a little what this TV show is about... Maybe later you feel inspired to watch it too!

My Brilliant Friend is an Italian TV show, named "L'Amica Geniale" based on the novel in four books of that name written by the writer Elena Ferrante. There is some mystery about the writer, as it is said that her name is not the real one, or that she is in fact the protagonist of the books. But let's focus on the TV show.

What is this about?

It is about the friendship between two girls from a very humble neighbourhood in the Italian city of Naples from the 1950s. This relationship develops over time, over the years and decades, showing us the personal evolution not only of both protagonists, but also the different development of their lives, and the almost inexplicable common link that united them, despite their experiences or the distance.

Because it is the narration from the point of view of one of them, Elena Greco (the one with light hair), who transmits her thoughts and feelings throughout her life, focusing especially on the relationship with that brilliant, special, different and strange friend who attracted her so much, Lila Cerullo (with dark hair).

Two different characters, two different ways of thinking, two different ways of seeing life, two lives in the same poor and conflictive neighbourhood that develop differently, due to different circumstances. Different personal and family relationships, different jobs, different lifestyles, but despite all this, their friendship endures. Despite everything.

The characters & The plot

In each of the four seasons, they show us a different period of life. In the first season, they are little girls, overwhelmed by the neighbors in the neighborhood and their dark stories, by parents hardened by a difficult life with few resources and thinking about surviving.

They grow up like this, but at that moment their paths seem to separate. Elena can continue studying, she is a good student and despite her mother's impediments she achieves her goal, but Lila cannot. Lila, gifted with great talent, honestly superior even, cannot, her family prevents her, more than traditional, ignorant and violent, and she with her strong character manages despite everything to prosper in a neighborhood that certainly forces you to be strong.

While Elena studies, Lila is not afraid of the mobsters who dominate her neighborhood, and she makes herself noticed, because she has something that not even Elena knows how to explain, she admires her and hates her, she misses her and also needs to separate herself from her. Lila is the center of attention in the neighborhood and manages to stand out and shine in everything.

They enjoy the summers of their youth, those Italian summers of another era, in the Ischia island, and they live experiences that will mark them. Personal experiences, love experiences and also related to ideologies in the turbulent political times they are living in Italy. While they continue to grow, in the second season as teenagers and in their twenties, while they get married, and their lives continue to change...

Everyone's life changes. In the third season, they are adult and have family. Elena lives in Florence, travels a lot and her professional life seems to take off. Although things seem to be going well for Lila at first, socially, they are not what they seem, nor what she wants. She has to face many more problems in this marginal and constantly conflicted Naples, and both of them, from a distance, show us how Italy is changing, moving on to another decade, and also to another season.

And suddenly many things happen in their lives as usual, and also in Italy, in the forth season they are completely adults and they have to handle with more problems not only about family, love, children or professional careers, but also how to live again both in the same neighborhood [SPOILER: Elena goes back to Naples!]

And more things happens...

Anything else to comment? Feelings and context.

This story is the story of two women who live in the same challenging environment and lead different lives, but that same neighborhood unites them forever. And there is also something in them, a relationship that is difficult to explain with words, but at the same time the narrator, Elena, also affectionately called Lenù, manages to move us by accurately describing emotions or feelings that are sometimes complex for us.

She speaks in Italian, even though (in the original Italian version) some characters, many from the humble neighborhood, frequently speak in the Neapolitan dialect, and in the series they have maintained that authenticity, which makes the relationship of all the characters more familiar. Although I needed the subtitles because it is not easy for me to understand the dialect, but I liked hearing it, because it served to differentiate styles and social classes, of some characters and others and situations.

While living with the two friends, we also discover their relationship with many other characters, and we see the changes of each of the decades, of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s... this is also about social history. We see the evolution in their lives and also in their clothes, styles, hairstyles, houses, events like Chernobyl also mentioned, and in general the political situation of Italy, very present in everything that happens there.

They witness an earthquake, not only a political one, but a real one in the city, their children grow up, and so do they. The actresses chosen in each stage represent very well the essence that is transmitted in the novel, and the narrated parts are authentic, thoughts and internal observations explained in a coherent, simple, delicate and real way. We put ourselves in their place, we live and feel that strange and brilliant relationship between the two Italian friends.

I have been telling so much. So now... you have to watch it on HBO MAX!

I have already watched all the episodes of the four seasons. And I have loved this TV show almost as much as the books!

More information about the TV show and all the shared images here:
Original title: L'Amica Geniale (2018-2024) - IMDB: My Brilliant Friend

My Brilliant Friend: a lovely Italian friendship (my TV show review)

What is this about?

The characters & The plot

Anything else to comment? Feelings and context.

Thanks for reading! Have a nice and kind day.

The text is totally mine by ©Duvinca

The images screenshots and some info are from imbd.com and the lead image has been done by me using Canva.com