Lady Bird

I really cannot comprehend what is so good about this movie. While Saoirse Ronan is more or less good as Lady Bird, still she is somehow disagreeable, angry and unlikeable, which makes me dislike her for a while. There is nothing funny, entertaining or at least a little bit interesting about this movie. Sure, you can see a certain world of a strongly Christian family that Saoirse is trying to defy, at least a bit. But it is no special kind of defiance, rather it is that defiance typical for any teenager and the director made a bigger deal of it than was necessary. (14/01/2018)

I still can't come to terms with the fact that the same film, which stole the hearts of 99% of reviewers overseas, is considered just above average in the domestic market, despite its innocence and naivety. Perhaps here the cliché rule applies, when a viewer, spoiled by American whispering and the increasing number of prestigious awards, expects a life-changing spectacle and gets – Lady Bird. Small, angry, headless, sincere. When it gets under your skin, you understand that this is not supposed to be a life-changing experience, but the exact opposite. An honest depiction of the most average, ordinary, and therefore, the most enchanting adolescence. Everyone has experienced enough family and relationship turmoil, hopes, and leaps into the unknown, and even though mine may differ somewhat from those in which Christine was embroiled, the accompanying moods are almost identical. An easy spectacle that doesn't need to surpass any benchmarks. (16/01/2018)

A superbly acted journey into the depths of a teenager's soul. Saoirse Ronan did a very good job of playing an insolent rebel looking for herself and for someone to be with, but without the counterpart of Laurie Metcalf in the role of mother, her Lady Bird would have only been halfway there. It's an enjoyable spectacle, not as quirky funny as Juno (it was similar to that film mainly through the father's jokes and the scene with the coach who was coaching the school theatre), but a little more melancholy... And, unfortunately, a little protracted towards the end. (16/03/2018)

All it takes is a hysterical selfish bitch for a mother and drama ensues. Needless to say, this requires a great deal of directorial mastery, which Greta Gerwing fortunately possesses, as well as Saoirse Ronan's acting talents. Nothing iconically groundbreaking (mainly because of a certain repetitiveness in the conflicts with the supporting characters), but still quite possibly the best and certainly best made film about the hardships of high school adolescence ever. I haven't seen such an original play with editing, sound and changing pace anywhere else this year at least, not to mention the clever script and the believably dosed emotions. A little great film. 85% (30/12/2017)

Un petit film sans prétention et puis surtout, doux-amer comme je les aime. Je pense donc avoir trouvé mon favori pour les Oscars. Il s’agit probablement du premier – et peut-être même du dernier – film tourné à Sacramento que j’ai eu l’occasion de voir. Et c’est une agréable surprise qui me ravit sur pas mal de points. Saoirse Ronan est absolument parfaite, le personnage de Lady Bird semble avoir été écrit pour elle, les seconds rôles avec Laurie Metcalf et Tracy Letts sont impeccables, tout comme ceux des jeunes espoirs Hedges et Chalamet. D’ailleurs, comment se fait-il que ceux-ci se retrouvent dans autant de films nominés aux Oscars ? Le scénario est superbement écrit, le montage est excellent, de même que la BO et, pour couronner le tout, l’ambiance magistralement retranscrite de la capitale de Californie, même si c‘est peut-être la ville californienne la moins connue. L’humour est parfois mordant, sarcastique, ou même noir, mais il m’a fait rire aux éclats. Par contraste, les nombreux thèmes suggestifs et motifs percutants sont traités de façon très subtile – tellement subtile, en fait, que ceux-ci peuvent échapper à l’attention du spectateur. Et la sœur de Jonah Hill dans le rôle de la meilleure amie ? C'est la cerise sur le gâteau ! Le 4 mars à Helsinski, je croiserai les doigts pour ce film ! (13/02/2018)

I wasn't bored with this film, but then again, I wasn't exactly thrilled either. Christine rebels against everyone and everything under the influence of puberty and hormones, which is all that the story really has to offer. I was originally going to rate the film two stars, but I ended up adding one for Saoirse Ronan's performance, who was totally convincing in her obnoxiousness, and for the coach whose direction of the play was perfect. (18/04/2018)

The acting is just good enough to convince you that it is still worth watching films about a girl or a young man becoming a woman or a man. Lady Bird is not always pleasant, but it just shows how challenging growing up is, even more so in a Christian world that is even more strict. (22/01/2018)

A very conventional coming-of-age film that is heavily predictable in terms of narrative and really has nothing to surprise you. On the other hand, Saoirse Ronan can definitely act and her performance is an experience in itself. Still, I can't shake the feeling that Lady Bird spends the entire time pretending to be something more than just another coming-of-age film about the complicated relationship between an adolescent daughter and her mother. It's fine for one viewing, but the likes of, say, Booksmart, left a far greater impression on me. [60%] (11/04/2021)

Lady Bird, played by the great Saoirse Ronan, can be quite annoying at times, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I was the same way when I was her age. I regretted it too, but in my case, it was too late. This successful film about a girl's coming-of-age and self-discovery doesn't push the boundaries very much, yet it exudes a certain authenticity mixed with nostalgia, and I really enjoyed it. (80%) (23/06/2021)