Greta Gerwig has more than earned her fair share of praise for her writing, such as scripts with Noah Baumbach like Frances Ha and Mistress America, and I find her a very warm and welcome presence in any, or pretty much all films that I see her in as an actress. She has a fine range of showing great humour and delivers and writes comedy and comedic moments very well, but she also has something about her and the films that she writes, or stars in that allows us to connect with her and just almost in a sense be around her and spending two hours, or an hour an a half with her is never boring, or a waste of time, but always these are very fulfilling and rewarding movie experiences and sometimes they can bring about great joy, or even cause you to reminisce about yourself and what certain situations were like for you that present themselves in her movies and often they can cause you to laugh, cry and even reflect, or look deep in yourself and for someone who looks for a little something more when I go to the theatre, I find these particular qualities worth very much and can instantly make a film a masterpiece in my mind. Having now just seen her directorial debut, Lady Bird, I am glad to say that everything I had just written above about her performances and her other writing credits can all safely be said for this new piece of work as well. Gerwig does not herself star in this new film and yet it is embodied with her charm and sense of self discovery and worth that most of her work brings about. Saoirse Ronan, who is a very great actress on her own, gives what I would consider to be the best performance of her very short, but what is sure to be a very lengthy career because how not just with this role, but previous ones as well, where she can totally immerse herself into any kind of character, or genre, so flawlessly and each time deliver a performance that can be subtle yet very powerful and here I think she gives a screen presence that shows just as Gerwig can deliver comedy, or comedic scenes, so can Ronan, and yet this is also a performance and film of great emotional depth and a film that requires much soul searching not just for the actors, but for us watching as well. Ronan captures what can be one of the hardest roles to nail down perfectly and that is playing a teenager and young adult who are trying to forge their way ahead in life and meeting any and all obstacles on the way. We see how at many times and stages of her life that she just wants to be noticed and accepted by those around her, from her peers to even winning the approval of her mother, who may seem distant and uncaring and yet loves her unconditionally, even if she has a difficult time showing it. We see how things for Ronan's character 'Lady Bird' as she calls herself is not always the most easy at home as her father who is a warm and deeply caring man is dealing with unemployment and because of this and other issues, has been dealing with depression issues for years. The household income is also a problem causing them to be extremely careful with their expenses and having the mother working at any and all hours and sometimes even double shifts to help care for her family. Lady Bird goes to a catholic school and yet seems to have no real exploration of faith, or any sense of a higher power, or belief system which is something that seems to change as she gets a bit older and also question the bigger and more important issues in life. There are the added pressures of fitting in at school, dating, sex and just trying to carve out her way and have a prosperous and rewarding future. Lady Bird has done many acts of rebellion and makes a lot of mistakes on the way, but this is also a sense of growing and yet after each fall she seems to pick herself up and eventually develops the emotional maturity and outlook that will get her not only through high school, but into the tricky stage of being an adult. Ronan's character brings about much joy and laughter and yet there are also times where we come close to tears and can identify with this character in more ways than one. The supporting performances by Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts, are moving and essential to this film. There were a couple of scenes with Metcalf, where her performance is so true and yet moving, I could feel tears building in my eyes, especially in a couple of select and yet beautifully moving scenes. Gerwig proves that she not only has the capability to act and write, but also to direct and put together a film that any young, or older person can identify with in some way shape, or form and is not only an enjoyable ride, but an enlightening and moving one that makes this film one that will linger long after you have watched it and is powerful enough to make you look at life and things a little differently. For this great sense of the human spirit and how great Gerwig masters writing what it means to be human, this makes the film a grand achievement that I think will only improve after repeat viewings. This is already an awards darling and expect it to continue to dominate any and all awards for very good reasons.
Review of Lady Bird
