I’ll be writing more about this movie in the coming days, but for now I’ll say this: This coming-of-age story confirms star Saoirse Ronan as one of the best young actresses of our day. Lady Bird, like many a high school senior, must navigate home and school, friendships and romance, all while trying to escape the California city she unknowingly loves. Lady Bird snagged a rare 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a funny, clever, poignant film that despite plenty of rough language and really difficult moments, says some great things about family, friendship and faith.
Months after seeing this strange little movie, I’m still turning over in my mind. It’s hilarious and tragic, bleak and beautiful. It shows us the face of poverty in the shadow of the Happiest Place on Earth, but all seen through the eyes of a vivacious, irrepressible 6-year-old girl. Brooklynn Prince as the pint-size Moonee is a revelation, and I personally think she deserves an Oscar nom: Don’t know if I’ve seen a better performance this year. But Willem Dafoe and Bria Vinaite are pretty great, too.
Director Christopher Nolan has made some pretty decent movies in the past, but Dunkirk may be his most daring and best film to date. The movie tells a pretty simple story—the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II, which Darkest Hour also coincidentally deals with extensively—but does so with a time-folding conceit that brings a remarkable level of urgency to the party. I’ve written lots about this movie elsewhere, so I’ll not belabor its excellence here. But it is excellent, no question—and worth a view with the sound way up.
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