87. Lady Bird; movie review

LADY BIRD
Cert 15
94 mins
BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, brief strong nudity

Saoirse Ronan always makes me giggle when I see her interviewed because she seems, in the nicest possible way, as nutty as a fruitcake.
And, thankfully, her almost uncontrollable zest is brought to the big screen in Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird.
I wasn't sure I would get much out of a movie about the travails of a teenager in her final year at a Catholic high school.
But Ronan is the perfect actress to bring Gerwig's witty and amusing, if not laugh-out loud funny, script to life.
Ronan plays Christine, aka Lady Bird, a young woman whose expectations neither match her abilities or efforts.
Nevertheless, she puts pressure on her father (Tracy Letts) to back her bid for a scholarship, despite him being pre-occupied over losing his job.
The gentle dad constantly gives in to his daughter in contrast to her domineering mother (Laurie Metcalf) who gives her a hell of a hard time.
The sparks between Ronan and Metcalf are very much at the heart of Lady Bird although it is quite tricky to understand why the mum is so angry.
Meanwhile, Lady Bird is also torn between her nerdy best friend (Beanie Feldstein) and being pals with the pretty popular lass (Odeya Rush) and also has lad trouble, flitting between the school's top actor (Lucas Hedges) and a rough diamond (Timothée Chalamet).
From my description, it could be presumed that Gerwig's film follows the tired old formula of many a  movie about teenagers but Lady Bird has an edge and realism which others fall short of.
And its denouement is particularly satisfying if a little corny.
I can't see if being a challenger on Oscar night but it is certainly well worth an hour and a half. However, thanks to the Black Panther juggernaut, its curtailed distribution may mean it is difficult to find at UK cinemas.

Reasons to watch: Compelling performance by Saoirse Ronan
Reasons to avoid: When all is said and done it is still a teenage comedy drama

Laughs: Three and a few chuckles
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Very brief nude photo
Overall rating: 8/10

Director interview - Greta Gerwig: "Saoirse is so transparent emotionally - when you look at her face you can almost tell what she's thinking. Not all actors have that. She has this incredible ability to master accents and physicality and she's spontaneous and alive."

The big question - Is the mother and daughter relationship the most intense?

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