“It’s about everything that I always make my movies about, it’s about family legacy, it’s about trying to control what you can’t control”. - Derek Cianfrance

I Know This Much Is True is a 2020 6-part HBO Limited Series from writer/director Derek Cianfrance, and is based on the novel from Wally Lamb. It tells the story of identical twin brothers Domenic and Thomas Birdsey, following their lives across generations, focusing on the immense grief and struggle they deal with along the way. Mark Ruffalo stars in the role of both brothers, and the cast also includes Melissa Leo, Archie Panjabi, Juliette Lewis, John Procaccino, Rob Huebel, Phillip Ettinger, Kathryn Hahn, Imogen Poots, Rosie O’Donnell, and Michael Greyeyes.

THE GOOD

HBO’s Limited Series I Know This Much Is True left an impression on me, but it wasn’t an easy road that’s for damn sure. This show plays out like a 6 1/2 hour movie, and it is incredibly acted, beautifully shot, perfectly scored, and couldn’t have been paced better. You will feel like you really know these characters and have a connection to them, and will find yourself amazed by their transformations. What is most unique about the show is the complexity of relationships and the role grief plays in them. It also serves as a reminder that some people can change, and often grow into better versions of themselves.

Director and screenwriter Derek Cianfrance is crazy talented if you ask me, and I loved his film The Place Beyond the Pines with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, a must watch if you haven’t seen it already. I just recently watched his first fiim Blue Valentine, also starring Gosling, and that is a gem as well. You can always tell when he is behind a project, he puts such an emotional touch on his work that it always feels intimate and impactful.

In an interview, Cianfrance talked about how he prefers to do projects that deal with family and the generational struggle surviving our youth and navigating adulthood, or more specifically the age old discussion of nature vs nurture. He touches on how a few pivotal moments can change our lives forever, even if it takes years or almost an entire lifetime before it is fully realized. What I’m trying to say is, this guy is a genius and if he works on a series or a film, you better believe he put his blood, sweat, and tears into something that is now a part of him and his legacy.

In some ways I would compare Cianfrance to Richard Linklater, with his film Boyhood for example, but Cianfrance is more controversial and deals with the darker side of life, mental illness, poverty, crime by means of survival, and what it means to be different. I also really love how important cinematography and score is to him, always providing significant emotional weight to the more pivotal scenes, something that feels like his trademark.

I always think back to The Place Beyond the Pines and the scene where Gosling’s son is riding his bike down the long road as the camera pans back surrounded by trees. Or the moment he finally meets Ben Mendolsohn’s character while on the quest to learn more about his father, it still gives me chills. He places as much value on that as he does acting and dialogue. He also said he believes that the grief we experience in our lives has the power to cleanse us in some way if we deal with it properly. He actually lost his sister at just 39 years-old just as he was editing the last few episodes of the series, and he said that it proved to be therapeutic for him and left a mark on the series as well.

Mark Ruffalo is an amazing actor, but I know that’s not exactly breaking news. His performance in this limited series is nothing short of spectacular, and easily one of the single best performances I have ever seen, and surely his best which is saying something. Not only is he able to transform into his character, he is able to transform into two very different characters, who happen to be twin brothers who begin life very much alike, and drift apart completely.

Mark Ruffalo actually lost 20 pounds to play one brother, gained it back, and gained an additional 20 pounds to play the other brother. He is nearly unrecognizable in both roles. Now that’s Christian Bale in The Machinest, or McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club level commitment. I am just amazed by how well he did here, and my respect for him as an actor is at an all-time high. Ruffalo is no stranger to struggle as he’s battled depression his entire life, lost his best friend to suicide, and lost a brother who was murdered in 2008 at the young age of 39, a case that remains unsolved. You NEED to experience the incredible transformation for yourself. I also have to mention Phillip Ettinger who takes on the role of the brothers at 17-19 year old, he is fantastic.

THE BAD

I’m not going to sugar coat it, this is a difficult watch. It deals with mental illness, unimaginable tragedy, childhood and mid/late-life trauma, and everything in between. But, this is real-life struggle, the darker side of our journey into adulthood that most of us prefer to bury deep inside, and talk to a trained professional about once a month instead to keep our sanity. Life is beautiful, but it is also painful and unbearable at times, and these trials and tribulations help to mold us into the people we are today.

THE VERDICT

I Know This Much Is True, the HBO limited series from writer/director Derek Cianfrance, is a poetic journey showcasing one of the best performances you will ever experience from star Mark Ruffalo. Although it is a limited series, this plays out like a 6-part movie and I may never look at Ruffalo the same again. Highly recommended.