Lady Bird (dir. Greta Gerwig)

There's nothing I love more than being sideswiped by a movie. It doesn't happen often, most recently it was Damien Chazelle's big hit Whiplash, where my feelings toward a film are constantly changing and i find new reasons to love it as every scene passes. 

Here, in Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut, there’s no exception. With a coming-of-age drama of a young catholic school-girl navigating the vicissitudes of her final year of high-school, set in the early 2000's, Gerwigs delicate portrayal of a teenage girl battling with herself is intimate, engaging and laugh out loud hilarious. 

Christine "Lady Bird" Mcpherson (Saorise Ronan) leads a hectic life in Sacramento, California - not only is she constantly fighting with her overbearing mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) - she's attempting to find funding for her liberal arts degree in New York. Juggling two different boys complicates her life, also. Supporting roles from Lucas Hedges (manchester by the sea) and Timothy Chalment (Call me by your name) add to the trials and tribulations of pre-teen angst and are intertwined with funny one-liners and often hilariously played preventable mistakes.  

But she's no fool - she's assured and she's fiesty -as is demonstrated by her demands to be referred to as Lady Bird. A hedonistic decision, obviously as a form of rebellion, which adds to her charm and her delicate nature. She feels like she doesn’t fit in Sacramento, or as she calls it; “the mid-west of California” - and hopes to escape to more cultured metropolis’.   

Though there have been similar films of late, (much more plot heavy) like The Edge of Seventeen or The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Gerwig's masterful account of a Sacramento teen is part autobiographical and equal part fantasy - which makes it even more poignant. And it's something truly special to look at. From the beginning, our titular character sits eagle-eyed out of the the passenger side windows as her mother drives her down the street. What appears to be a fairly basic sequence, turns into a contemptuous squabble, as her mother berates her on new-found dreams in New York and other lifestyle choices. A  particular humorous quip, played with terrific comedic timing from Metcalf, has her offering her 17 year old daughter this wise advise; “you should just go to city college, then to jail and then back to City College”.

Unable to listen to her mother's ramblings and self-righteousness, she hurls herself out of the moving vehicle. It’s this kind of sardonic humour, with an equal part of slapstick, which sets Lady Bird apart from most Hollywood coming-of-age dramas, which feel the need to wallow in the self-importance of their characters - here, for better or worse, you sympathise with Lady Bird. You root for her, and you’re excited by her youthful energy. 

Though there are many aspects of Lady Bird which gel so effortlessly, it's a character driven piece which is dependent on actors with dynamic range and the ability to completely inhabit their characters. You need look no further than Saorise Ronan. There were parts of this film which i actually believed that she was her character - her charismatic presence so believable and authentic-  i forgot i was watching  a peforming artist. The same can be said for Laurie Metcalf, always so reliable in her cameo roles in The Big Bang Theory and others, has never been better as a Mother who doesn't quite seem to understand her daughter but is doing everything in her power to make her happy. 

Our director informed her director of photography to make the film look like a memory. As a native of Sacramento, it spurns the cliched solo directorial-debut which pays homage to a artists hometown, instead opting for an angst-ridden account of a misunderstood teen hoping to fit in different environments. Lady Bird tries theatre for a while, hanging out with the naughty girl in school during a rebellious sequence, and even smoking pot in a effort to find herself. It's through these sequences, Gerwig presents the expansive Californian landscape with a nod to a forgotten dream, often thought of but never alluded to. They are sensuous and foreboding, but perfectly blend together with the engaging drama. 

Everything about Lady Bird feels fresh and contemporary, even though it's set 15 years ago. The snappy and wry humor feels effortless from Gerwig, but we know these witty exchanges have accumulated from years of observational comedy, and it's so refreshing to see a director with such assurance toward her writing. Though I haven’t also been her biggest acting fan, her first solo directorial outfit is a behemoth of independent cinema - expect the well deserved Oscar buzz to come to fruition come awards season - and something I certainly did not expect. 

Rating 5/5.