Great! So what exactly will I be discussing in these reviews?
Plot
Character and their development
Viewer Engagement
My favourite moment
My least favourite moment
Anything else!
So... which film is going to be the subject of my sixth Film Review on my blog?
Lady Bird (2017)
I watched this film at QUAD Derby's Oscar Film Event, where the Oscar Nominations for this year's Academy Awards were screened again for one week. I watched it with some of my friends as part of a binge-watch, where we spent the entire day in the cinema.
This review WILL contain spoilers.
Plot:
As the genre of this film was more coming of age than anything, I was delighted by how direct this story was in relating to me. Unlike most coming of age films, that appear to be targeted at 15-17-year-olds, this one was aimed more so at students that had just begun or were about to begin their university careers as the story of Lady Bird was set during her last year at High School. I found the plight easy to understand and relate to as it focussed on how Lady Bird wished to go to university in New York but her family could not afford to support her.
Character:
The character of Lady Bird was heartbreakingly realistic. She seemed ignorant to the struggle around her as her family did not want her to be privy to the significance of the family issues involving finances. Her ambition appeared to be bigger than she could achieve, and yet, she was determined to give it a shot, despite conflict with her mother. Some of heaviest pieces of dialogue derived from when Lady Bird and her mother were at odds during the film, for example, "But do you like me?" which was thrown at her mother during an argument when they were shopping for prom dresses.
Engagement:
It took me a short while to manage to be invested in the story, despite regarding Lady Bird to be a relatable character. It took a short period of time to really want to root for the protagonist and learn more about where her journey would take her. However, once she ended up in a relationship, I was interested. As someone who has gone to university, I am aware that it can be deemed to be silly to engage in romantic relationships so close to graduation, so I wanted to know how things would go. From there I was hooked.
My Favourite Moment:
My favourite moment was one which made me cry during the film; when Lady Bird is on her way to the airport, and her father gets out of the car with her to say goodbye, and instead of seeing the farewell, you watch her mother drive away and do a lap of the surrounding area because parking at the airport is too expensive. As she turns the car around, as a viewer, you are hoping that she is going to speed back to the airport to say goodbye to her daughter, despite being in a state of heightened tension and conflict with her because of her decision to study in the city. I was so upset when she missed the chance to say goodbye and just cried into her husband's arms. It was so sad!
My Least Favourite Moment:
I was not a fan of the ending of this film, I felt like the build-up to the ending left the resolution to be rather anti-climatic. This was because Lady Bird had finally gone to university and got what she wanted, so I was unsure as to whether this was the point where a quick downward spiral would begin to show viewers that sometimes things don't go according to plan. It seemed to be a quick snap and flat resolution to the conflict.
Anything Else:
I may or may not have cried when Lady Bird finally referred to herself by her given name, Christine when at university...
Despite my opinions on the ending, I would recommend the film! And I hope that you'll consider giving this film a watch.
Thanks for reading!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra!
- Imogen. L. Smiley
I watched this film at QUAD Derby's Oscar Film Event, where the Oscar Nominations for this year's Academy Awards were screened again for one week. I watched it with some of my friends as part of a binge-watch, where we spent the entire day in the cinema.
This review WILL contain spoilers.
Plot:
As the genre of this film was more coming of age than anything, I was delighted by how direct this story was in relating to me. Unlike most coming of age films, that appear to be targeted at 15-17-year-olds, this one was aimed more so at students that had just begun or were about to begin their university careers as the story of Lady Bird was set during her last year at High School. I found the plight easy to understand and relate to as it focussed on how Lady Bird wished to go to university in New York but her family could not afford to support her.
Character:
The character of Lady Bird was heartbreakingly realistic. She seemed ignorant to the struggle around her as her family did not want her to be privy to the significance of the family issues involving finances. Her ambition appeared to be bigger than she could achieve, and yet, she was determined to give it a shot, despite conflict with her mother. Some of heaviest pieces of dialogue derived from when Lady Bird and her mother were at odds during the film, for example, "But do you like me?" which was thrown at her mother during an argument when they were shopping for prom dresses.
Engagement:
It took me a short while to manage to be invested in the story, despite regarding Lady Bird to be a relatable character. It took a short period of time to really want to root for the protagonist and learn more about where her journey would take her. However, once she ended up in a relationship, I was interested. As someone who has gone to university, I am aware that it can be deemed to be silly to engage in romantic relationships so close to graduation, so I wanted to know how things would go. From there I was hooked.
My Favourite Moment:
My favourite moment was one which made me cry during the film; when Lady Bird is on her way to the airport, and her father gets out of the car with her to say goodbye, and instead of seeing the farewell, you watch her mother drive away and do a lap of the surrounding area because parking at the airport is too expensive. As she turns the car around, as a viewer, you are hoping that she is going to speed back to the airport to say goodbye to her daughter, despite being in a state of heightened tension and conflict with her because of her decision to study in the city. I was so upset when she missed the chance to say goodbye and just cried into her husband's arms. It was so sad!
My Least Favourite Moment:
I was not a fan of the ending of this film, I felt like the build-up to the ending left the resolution to be rather anti-climatic. This was because Lady Bird had finally gone to university and got what she wanted, so I was unsure as to whether this was the point where a quick downward spiral would begin to show viewers that sometimes things don't go according to plan. It seemed to be a quick snap and flat resolution to the conflict.
Anything Else:
I may or may not have cried when Lady Bird finally referred to herself by her given name, Christine when at university...
Despite my opinions on the ending, I would recommend the film! And I hope that you'll consider giving this film a watch.
Thanks for reading!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra!
- Imogen. L. Smiley
No comments:
Post a Comment