QUICK SUMMARY
Barbie may be a brilliant film but it isn't Greta Gerwig's best. That honour belongs to Lady Bird a brilliant coming of age story coming to Prime Video on the 22nd of February.
Barbie was the cinematic event of 2023, and for director Greta Gerwig it was a massive success but it isn't the filmmaker's best movie. That belongs instead to her full directorial debut, Lady Bird.
Coming to Amazon Prime Video on February 22nd, there's no excuse not to watch this tale that all of us can relate to. Not only do I consider it Gerwig's magnum opus, but so do the critics with a massive 99% on Rotten Tomatoes higher than Barbie (88%) and Little Women (92%).
If you've ever grown up or are still growing up (i.e. everyone) Lady Bird will speak to you. Saoirse Ronan plays (with aplomb) the title character - real name Catherine - a rebellious teenager in 2002. With just a year of school left before college, Lady Bird (as she insists on being called now) is desperate to find her own identity and dreams of the East Coast, the opposite side of the country to her home in Sacramento.
We follow Lady Bird for a host of teenage scrapes and misadventures, often funny and sometimes sad. Lady Bird has her first boyfriend, fights with her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) and even has a run-in with an even fresher-faced Timothée Chalamet.
Still, the central relationship of the film is between Lady Bird and her mother (Laurie Metcalfe putting in incredible work). Despite their closeness, the two's relationship could probably best be described as 'dysfunctional'. In one famous early scene Lady Bird clashes with her mother and to settle the argument, simply jumps out of a moving car, breaking her arm.
What sets Lady Bird apart is just how brilliant the dialogue is. Almost every line is a subtle gem and Ronan and Metcalfe are superb together. Be warned though by the end you will have worked your way through most of a box of tissues. The final scene in particular absolutely ruined me (and still does). You'll want to hug your mother as soon as the credits roll.
I loved Barbie but the semi-autobiographical nature of Lady Bird gives Gerwig ample opportunity to play with our heartstrings, and boy does she.
