Lady Bird

LADY BIRD (15)

D: Greta Gerwig

Focus Features/A24 (Scott Rudin, Eli Bush & Evelyn O'Neill)

US 2017

93 mins

Comedy/Drama

W: Greta Gerwig

DP: Sam Levy

Ed: Nick Huoy

Mus: Jon Brion 

Saoirse Ronan (Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson), Laurie Metcalf (Marion McPherson), Tracy Letts (Larry McPherson), Lucas Hedges (Danny O'Neill), Timothee Chalamet (Kyle Scheible), Beanie Feldstein (Julianne 'Julie' Steffans), Lois Smith (Sister Sarah Joan)

Greta Gerwig's coming of age comedy-drama is a very solid directorial debut, starring Saoirse Ronan as an entitled, belligerent teenager who demands to be called Lady Bird, as she completes her final year at a catholic high school, with her sights solely focused on getting in East Coast universities without really having to work for it, whilst simultaneously harming her chances further by indulging in usual teenage mischief and falling in with the wrong crowd.

Saoirse Ronan does an excellent job making a rather unlikeable character sympathetic as the story dissects the fractured relationship between Lady Bird and her mother, as her family fall on financial hardship.

At first glance, it would feel like this was a semi-biographical account of Gerwig's own childhood, but she has since admitted that this isn't the case. Nevertheless, it's incredibly well written and brilliantly directed, making some witty and touching observations on growing up without being puerile. 

Laurie Metcalf steals the show as the mother, and the relationship between the two characters is probably the most touching mother-daughter relationship since 2003's Thirteen.

It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but those who do enjoy it will agree with its nomination for a Best Picture Oscar.

7/10