Lady Bird (2017) Dir: Greta Gerwig
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Greta Gerwig's coming-of-age comedy is one I often see named among people's favourite films, and seems to have left its impact on many who have watched it. I watched it, in the hopes that it would leave a mark on me too.
Something I think Gerwig did wonderfully well, was in her depiction of youth and womanhood. She showed the innocence, naivity and sweetness of young love, the playfulness of friendship and the evermore mountainous terrain of young adulthood, particularly for young women.
I also noted the interesting way in which Gerwig looked at depression from an indirect perspective - from someone on the fringes of it, rather than in the depths of it themselves. I thought it was rather nuanced, in a sense. I think the subtlety with which it was addressed was very clever.
The biggest strength of the film was its heartfelt story and utter sincerity. It felt genuine, it felt believable and it felt as insanely chaotic as young lives feel during those most formative years. I really empathised with the film's protagonist, in a lot more ways than I expected, and yet there was also so many new feelings that I was witness too, and enjoyed exploring with her.
Saoirse Ronan gave what I believe may be the best performance of her career so far - it was certainly in the upper echelon. The vast array of emotions and characteristics that she displayed were both impressive and believable. I thought she was very easy to appreciate and like, and I felt very invested in her character arc.
Laurie Metcalf had a very difficult role, one which required both poise and sincerity, and one which she absolutely nailed. I found her difficult to watch at times, but only because she portrayed her persona and emotions so well that I felt the pain and frustration of both her and Ronan's characters so strongly.
The two standouts of the supporting cast, for me, were Beanie Feldstein and Timothée Chalamet. Feldstein had a lovely likability to her, and her comedic moments were infectiously funny. Chalamet was hilariously pretentious - I think he summed up so many boys of that age with such a satirical dryness.
I was also a particular fan of the supporting trio of Tracy Letts, Stephen McKinley and Lucas Hedges, who all had some very powerfully and emotionally acted scenes, particularly, in my view, McKinley, who was a lovable teddy bear of a character.
Overall, I found this to be a lovely and powerful coming-of-age story, which not only addressed but delved into the tumultuous and complicated nature of adolescence, love and relationships. I was hoping this film would make me feel something, but I was not expecting to feel such profound emotion in response to it. I think the film is beautiful.
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