Review of Lady Bird (2017)

Lady Bird (2017) is a beautifully simple and incredibly moving coming of age film directed by Greta Gerwig. I found much of this film to be visually beautiful, using amazing scenery, lighting and unique and well timed camera shots to its advantage. I knew very little about this film going in, but I was immediately blown away by the visuals alone, and quickly found myself needing more, even if I wasn’t sure what ‘more’ was yet.

I do not want to delve into the plot too much as I truly believe that this is one of those films that is much better when you don’t know anything about what may happen. So, without giving too much away, Lady Bird is a beautiful, simple and unique coming of age film. I have found that, especially with coming of age films, there is often a risk of coming across as boring if you try to keep it too simple. So many coming of age films are perhaps too intricate and try too hard or do too much. The brilliant thing about Lady Bird is that I never once felt bored of the plot, yet it almost feels as though very little really happened. It takes an incredible skill to find that kind of balance.

Lady Bird succeeded in making me laugh many times, making me cry and making me genuinely invested in these fictional characters, to the extent to which I was actually disappointed that it ever ended. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw a film and didn’t ever want it to end. It made me feel so invested in these characters and in this town I have never even heard of. Greta Gerwig managed to make me feel like part of a community that doesn’t exist and, honestly, that is incredibly rare for me as I am generally very aware when I’m in the cinema that I am watching a movie. One of the things I actually love the most about Lady Bird, and that is hard to find in most American coming of age films, is that I immediately fell in love with the characters and related to them throughout. The thing is, the cast is very average looking (in that none of them are gorgeous supermodels) and they don’t all live in these beautiful upper class nuclear families with huge houses. This kind of representation is incredibly important to me, I am honestly sick of watching middle class American teens with married parents and no financial problems try to relate to me in movies.

A movie with incredible visuals, a great soundtrack, with an amazing cast and characters I could actually relate to and a flawless plot. I cannot stress enough how incredible a piece of film Lady Bird is; everyone should know about it. I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie that moved me so much.

#2017 #Drama #ComingofAge