Fave films of the century so far - 2018 - Lady Bird

A mother (Laurie Metcalfe) and daughter (Saoirse Ronan) are driving along enjoying a bit of John Steinbeck. Everything seems hunkydory.

   

(Ignore the date in that video, it didn't come out in Ireland til 2018)

A painfully realistic moment. How many people watching that scene will shudder at its familiarity? The calm then the storm. That special rage that comes from nowhere that only ever seems to happen between family members. 

Christine "Lady Bird" MacPherson is in her final year of high school. She cannot wait to get away from Sacremento and away from the woman who gave birth to her. She loves her mother but she can't live with her anymore. She's overbearing and unforgiving but Lady Bird isn't exactly an innocent victim either. She's thinks the world revolves around her in that special way teenagers do. She drops her best friend for someone cooler. She treats her parents like doormats. She's ashamed of where she lives. She's ashamed of herself. Saoirse Ronan's performance is painfully on the mark and writer/director Greta Gerwig's words actually sting with their accuracy.

Lady Bird. A deceptively simple watch that will stay with you long after it's over. A film full of universal truths, turmoil, surprising humour and sublime acting. It will resonate with everyone. It's my film of 2018.

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