Lady Bird
(Greta Gerwig)
Late to the party with this one...
The most moving scene to me involved Lucas Hedges crying uncontrollably into the arms of Saoirse Ronan due to the fear of his parents finding out his secret. It visualized the deep fear that so many kids have and speaks volumes about what a simple shot can bring to a scene. While it starts off a little confrontational, it ends it unwavering support and understanding. A small scene that doesn't push the narrative forward for Lady Bird, but adds more realism and depth to these characters. While the film is obviously more about Lady Bird navigating her adolescent life and dealing with an overbearing mother, this scene stood out to me as my favourite.
A film that showcases strong performances that doesn't necessarily feel like acting. My wife turned to me and said that "their relationship is so weird" referring to the mother-daughter fight/love struggle. Particularly the scene when they are arguing while dress shopping and both stop to admire the beauty of one dress in particular. I won't lie, my wife shed a few tears during the film, when I asked why she simply said it's a mother-daughter thing.
Well-written and directed by a voice that understands the material. You get the sense that she is pulling things from her own life experiences. Which is what people should do, you write what you know about. This is why the film felt realistic to me, the characters felt alive and the story genuine. While I've liked Ronan's previous performances, this one here makes me look forward to her future ones.
Glad I saw this before the Top 100 Movies Directed By Women thread began. But to be honest, I probably have a few more years to watch some more movies before we begin that.
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