Lady Bird (2017)

Lady Bird will become a victim of its own success. Due to all of the hype surrounding this film during the awards season, it is difficult to be amazed by it when watching it for the first time. It is almost impossible to view a film with this much praise and not have high expectations, which are inevitably going to be dashed by an understated indie comedy-drama. This is definitely a well-observed and well-acted coming-of-age film, however, is it worth all of the excitement? It is difficult to get on board at first.

Yes, it is fantastic that a female has been nominated for best director for only the fifth time in the history of the Academy Awards, and Saoirse Ronan is wonderful in the titular role, but is this one of the best films of the year? Doubtful. Yet, on the positive side, this is more an issue with Hollywood and the Academy Awards as a whole rather than Greta Gerwig’s first solo outing as a director.

Christine, or Lady Bird as she prefers to be known (for reasons we never find out), is seventeen and living in Sacramento, California. She “lives on the wrong side of the tracks” both literally and figuratively, and craves escapism to a place with more culture - her plan being to apply to colleges in New York to get away from the town where everyone knows everyone. We see Lady Bird as she argues with her mother repeatedly, an amusing opening scene in a car where Lady Bird jumps out of the moving vehicle to escape her mother’s derogatory comments sets the tone of the film, she embarks on her first relationship, befriends the coolest girl in the school and takes part in the school play.

In true coming-of-age fashion Lady Bird goes on a journey and we are there with her through the ups and downs. Funny and moving, this is a charming film with a more realistic portrayal of youth and particularly a teenager’s complex relationship with her mother - a brilliantly observed scene in a thrift store where Lady Bird is trying to find a dress for Thanksgiving sees herself and her mother, played superbly by Laurie Metcalf, arguing one minute and then best friends the next as Marion finds her daughter a suitable dress. It is moments like this that really make this film.

Shot with a sense of naturalism, the film’s realism allows the focus to remain on the central characters and, if you do invest in these characters, Lady Bird is a rewarding and thought-provoking film that will make you want to phone your mum and tell her you love her.

Ignore the hype and make up your own mind. For me, the film beautifully meditates upon the idea of reality versus fantasy; how we can only truly value something once we don’t have it/aren’t there anymore.  

People should go and see this film, not because of the awards hype, but because this is what cinema can be for mainstream audiences too: a truthful, thought-provoking character study rather than a mundane, overproduced display of machismo.

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Set in an idyllic Italian village in 1983, the film centres around seventeen-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) struggling to find his identity and shifting into adulthood; from dealing with having sex for the first time, to re-establishing his pride in his Jewish heritage. The catalyst for these, equally beautiful and often emotionally painful, experiences is strapping all-American Oliver (Armie Hammer), who joins Elio’s father as a research assistant for the summer.

Infused with the Italian heat, Elio and Oliver’s relationship develops over the weeks. Oliver’s initial impression of an arrogant and confident ladies’ man subtly changes as time progresses and Elio challenges him. At first it seems that Oliver holds all the power in the relationship but his vulnerability is delicately revealed towards the end of the film. Whereas Elio’s vulnerability is apparent from the start, both physically and emotionally, we very much see things from his point of view: an adolescent dealing with desire, possibly confined by societal and cultural ideals, none of which are explicitly depicted in the film, instead running as an undercurrent throughout – pop music constantly reminding us of the era of the film and hinting at the knowledge of the AIDS epidemic.

The film interlaces cultural references, classical music, literature and art, which are often interpreted as metaphors for the blossoming relationship between Oliver and Elio. At one point, explicitly: Elio’s mother reads a traditional folktale to him and his father, Elio physically lying in his mother and father’s arms suggesting his childlike qualities and also his closeness to his parents, stating that in the story a prince could not tell a princess of his love for her, asking "is it better to speak or to die?”. As he passes the story on to Oliver, Elio uses it to reveal his true feelings for him.

Cultured and intelligent characters drive the narrative and make the developing relationship all the more interesting. We see as Oliver, along with Elio’s father, reviews slides of beautiful Renaissance sculptures of the male form in all its glory – both men acknowledging the sensual nature of the artwork. It sounds cliché but it works within the world we are presented. This being a world where the characters are surrounded by beautiful landscapes that evoke a dreamlike quality to the six weeks of summer. This is juxtaposed with the harsh snowy winter towards the end of the film, as if the dream is over.

The central performance from Chalamet is what really makes this film, he is definitely the actor of the moment, also starring in the popular Lady Bird although in a much smaller role. Chalamet depicts a precocious yet vulnerable soul who we want to see triumph. Kudos should also go to the actor for performing a bizarre and memorable scene featuring a peach. Hammer is suitably American in the role of Oliver but is not as likeable as he is perhaps supposed to be.

There has been lots of discussion surrounding this film, firstly, due to the issue of statutory rape, as Elio is 17 and Oliver is 24. However, the film never condones this behaviour as such and this is an element which makes the relationship more fascinating and so complex. Many have also criticised the differing ways the heterosexual and homosexual sex scenes have been shot, the latter panning to a window view of trees instead of showing the intercourse. Perhaps this is to allow the viewer to imagine more graphically than a 15 certification would allow, maybe it is to symbolise the depth of the moment.  

Whatever criticisms there may be, this is undoubtedly a beautiful love story with poetic nuances throughout, alongside sizzling sexual tension which builds to a well-crafted finale.

Coming-of-age appeal

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Two films in the running for awards this season are Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ (2017) and Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Call Me by Your Name’ (2017). Both films successfully capture the uncertain emotions of youth transitioning into adulthood, but in entirely different ways (reviews of both films to follow).

Lady Bird (2017)

Many of my favourite films are from this genre - Stand by Me (1986), Heathers (1988), Lawn Dogs (1997), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), Stoker (2013) to name a few - so what is the enduring appeal of this genre and how does it continue to draw audiences in over and over again?

Firstly, we have all been there. Quite simply, we’ve all gone through the trials and tribulations that we see these characters going through, we can identify and relate to them as we all have to grow up and we can vividly remember the awkwardness of figuring things out for the first time, feeling alone, feeling obsessed, feeling angry. It’s a strange yet transient time and perhaps this is where the fascination lies. Often films will portray this time as a mere summer, such as My Summer of Love (2004), as does Call Me by Your Name - six weeks in which everything changes for our main protagonist. The weather is good, people go on holiday - the perfect excuse to meet an intriguing stranger that will change everything.

Lawn Dogs (1997)

The genre also needs to be character driven. It relies on us empathising with the protagonist and therefore we go on an emotional journey with them. We see things from their perspective, everything is closely observed and with the right director this can be an extremely powerful experience for the viewer, Blue is the Warmest Color (2013) being a fairly recent example of this. Sometimes, the sheer mysteriousness of this phase in life is used for effect, with few answers even given, such as Sofia Coppola’s beautifully ethereal mystery The Virgin Suicides (1999).

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

So, why do we as adults want to go back to such a confusing time in life? Perhaps it makes us feel better about ourselves, that we have a much more stable existence, or maybe we are yearning for better days when life had less responsibilities and we could just focus upon ourselves?

Narratively speaking, a good story always has the main protagonist go on a journey and therefore the rites of passage that these characters embark on act as both an emotional and physical journey that the audience can clearly see. Unlike many cultures, the rites of passage in Western society are not as clearly defined so there is plenty of scope for writers to develop an individual story that hasn’t been told before.

Or, perhaps it is more a reflection on society today. With the term man-child embedded within our culture and often used for comedic effect, are we more confused than ever on how to grow up and be an adult in this world?

Whatever the reason may be, the genre is certainly as strong as it has ever been.