Film Review: Live Twice, Love Once

Director: Maria Ripoll
Starring: Oscar Martínez, Inma Cuesta, Mafalda Carbonell
Running time: 101 minutes

This is a tale of a former mathematician who, even though he has health problems in his way, is determined to find the love of his life in this endearing, yet emotional film.

In Live Twice, Love Once, we begin with the view of the back of a young girl, gazing out at the sea, before a scene change which introduces the main character, Emilio (Oscar Martínez). It’s made clear later in the film that the view of the young girl is a flashback, possibly a memory of Emilio’s, but so far at this point we don’t know.

Throughout the film, Emilio is shown at his doctor’s appointments, and it is sad to see how with each appointment his memory further deteriorates. Throughout Emilio’s journey we are also introduced to his family, which includes his daughter Julia (Inma Cuesta), her husband and their daughter Blanca (Mafalda Carbonell). The father-daughter bond between Emilio and Julia may not be the greatest to start with, but as we go through the film it is apparent that they deeply care for each other.

On the other hand, the cheeky relationship between Emilio and his granddaughter Blanca is probably one of the highlights of the whole movie. He is a beginner to the world of technology, whereas she is an expert - with her phone proudly showcased as her most prized possession. With Emilio being a maths genius and Blanca a tech whiz, both have unique skills that allow each to benefit from the other’s advantages. It is through Blanca’s expert knowledge that Emilio can track down his beloved Margarita (Isabel Requena), the young girl from the beginning who he deems the love of his life. However, Emilio must try to find his beloved Margarita before he forgets once again.

So many positives arise after watching this film. Firstly, the opening scene is a great foundation for the plot of the story, because it alludes to the audience that the girl is going to be important to the story line, and makes us want to watch even more because of the need to know her relevance. It is continually played throughout the film with added bits to this important scene, and is a good basis for audiences to remember how important these characters are. As well as this, it allows the audience to be more empathetic towards the young girl when they find out what has eventually happened.

The majority of the scenes fit well to mirror the illness Emilio is going through. As he is suffering with Alzheimer’s, his memory begins to deteriorate and he becomes more confused. The camerawork for these scenes is unsteady and shifts from side-to-side, which is done well to mirror the confusion Emilio is feeling. This allows us to feel more connected to his struggles, with these scenes giving some sort of insight into what it is really like to have Alzheimer’s. 

The most outstanding part of this film is the ending. It is satisfying and bittersweet and, when a certain two characters go to the beach, it is so endearing and thoughtful that I had a tear in my eye.

The only downside to this film is perhaps a certain mid-shot scene where Julia helps her father, as his illness worsens. It is clear he needs help, and in some ways it is uncomfortable to watch because it was as if I was there. Yet the scene is smartly done to show audiences the true story behind what it is like to look after someone with such an illness. 

Ultimately, Live Twice, Love Once is a sentimental film that shows true love really does last forever. It is definitely worth a watch. 

Did you know? This film won six awards at the 2019 Premios del Audiovisual Valenciano.

Live Twice, Love Once is now available on Netflix.