Lady Bird (2017)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Written by Greta Gerwig

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Lucas Hedges and Timotheé Chalamet 

      Greta Gerwig sets out to prove to audiences that she can do more that just act for the camera, she can step foot behind it and bring an amazing story to life about a young high school girl coming of age in the early 2000's. These types of stories can normally be riddled with cliches, and fall beneath the cracks and are forgotten by movie goers, but Gerwig creates a comedic masterpiece with Lady Bird. 

     Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is a high-school senior from "the other side of the tracks" growing up in Sacramento. She is always searching for more adventure and sophistication but is falling short of that dream at her Catholic high school. The movie follows Lady Bird's senior year, including participating in the school play, finding love and most importantly, applying to college. What would this teenage experience be without being perpetually angry with your condescending/loving mother though? 

     The relationship between Lady Bird and her mom (played by Laurie Metcalf) is so entertaining to watch. From the very first scene of the movie where they're bickering in the car, you know their scenes together are always gonna be ones to look forward to. The dynamic of this mother-daughter relationship that Gerwig creates is so comical yet endearing to watch. You see that Metcalf's character does everything she can to provide for her daughter, you see that she does love her but seems to only be capable of showing it through snarky remarks and stabs at her daughters intelligence. On the otherside you see Saoirse's character can snap easily at her mom and may not always see all that she does but she also is quick to defend her to other people. Ronan and Metcalf steal the show in this and both deservedly receive lots of praise from their performances. 

8/10

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

Directed by Kenneth Lonergan

Written by Kenneth Lonergan 

Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges and Kyle Chandler 

     A dark film brought to us by the minds of Matt Damon and John Krasinski (yeah, you heard right- Jim from The Office) and written and directed by Oscar nominated, Kenneth Lonergan. Manchester By The Sea is a film that tells the story of a good man who is now wallowed in grief and a completely different person than his former self. 

     Lee (Casey Affleck) is an un-social janitor/handyman in Quincy- who floats through his work days with no emotion until the night when he can get to the bar and drink, with an extreme lack of social skills. Lee's monotonous routine is disrupted when he receives a call from the hospital of his former "home," Manchester. His older brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler) is in the hospital again because of his diagnosed congestive heart disorder- but may not make it this time. Lee makes the 90- minute drive up there, just to discover he was too late. He is left to take on the responsibility of planning his brother's funeral, and taking care of his 16 year old son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Lee soon is informed of the startling news that Joe has named him the guardian of Patrick. He is now forced to make some big life decisions as to wether to uproot Patrick from his life and move to Boston- or to reluctantly return to Manchester- a town with some disturbing memories for Lee.
     Through some flashbacks throughout the film, we soon learn this isn't just about Lee becoming the legal guardian of Patrick. Lee has an ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams) and a past life in Manchester- which makes it extremely difficult for him to return without some bad past memories. To talk about the flashbacks in detail would be major spoilers, but I will say I wish there were more flashbacks to further tell the story behind Lee's now un-social, depressive state.
     If having spot-on New England accents is the reason to dole out Academy Award's to this cast- then I expect to see all nominees (Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Lucas Hedges) standing at the podium award night. I was hoping to get more emotion from the cast, especially Affleck- but I suppose that is the reason their performances were so real. Affleck's character experiences so much loss throughout his life that by the time his brother passes, he is suppressing some major emotion. I was kind of hoping for a big emotional scene where he finally has a breakdown of some sort. He did punch a window at one point- I guess that was it? Affleck does a pretty good job at playing an extremely one-dimensional character. Lee is a man of not many words, holding in a lot of despair and Affleck embodies that. Michelle Williams role was very limited which I was disappointed about. She did bring some strong emotion to the film, however. Newcomer, Lucas Hedges was key to the movie; bringing a lot of typical teenage angst and drama (like having two girlfriends) which leavened the very dark manner of the film. He is well deserving of his best supporting actor nomination at this year's Academy Awards.
     The appeal of a dark, depressing movie like Manchester By The Sea is limited; so I can see why it was released so close to award season. The slow-pace nature of this film will not appeal to many who seek more cinematic, adrenaline filled, gleeful movies. If you're seeking a movie with deeper experiences, this is for you.

I give Manchester By The Sea a...

6/10