Roses Have Thoughts

Synopsis – In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California – Lady Bird.

Director – Greta Gerwig

Starring – Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Beanie Feldstein, Timothée Chalamet

Genre – Comedy | Drama

Released – 2017

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

If you liked – Edge of Seventeen, Adult World, Paper Towns

While covering well-trodden ground, the story still manages to feel fresh, fully engaging you in the lives of Lady Bird (Ronan) and those around her. Greta Gerwig with her directorial debut, Lady Bird managed the near-impossible task of producing a timeless and near-perfect coming-of-age drama for the modern audience while still remaining truthful to the time in which she sets the plot. The early 00s.

Filled to the brim with memorable sequences and lines, Gerwig’s script is only half the reason why the film is so enjoyable, the other half is down to the beautiful casting; Ronan is pitch-perfect as the irascible and overly confident Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, while Tracy Letts is magnificent as a dad struggling with a turbulent job market and being caught in the centre of two strong-willed women, However its Laurie Metcalf who proves to be the star of the show as Christine’s assertive mother. The chemistry between Metcalf and Ronan is undeniable, it’s no wonder that both were nominated for an Oscar.

Perhaps the film falls down in the final 10 minutes when Christine has left for University. For me, this part felt added on to pad out the screen time without bringing enough to the plot to justify its inclusion. That said, I cannot recommend this film enough. Along with Dude and Booksmart, Lady Bird is possibly one of the best coming-of-age dramas this century.

IMDB