Lady Bird (4 Stars)

I've never understood the difference in age classifications from country to country. I know that the German classification board is more lenient than the British Board of Film Classification, but in this case it's ridiculous. In the UK, "Lady Bird" has a 15 rating. In Germany, it has a 0 rating. I don't want to sound prude, but I think that Germany got it wrong. I wouldn't want to take a four-year-old into the cinema with me. The film has a sex scene! How do I explain that to him?

"Lady Bird" is a moving coming-of-age film. The randomness of events makes it look like a true story, but the director Greta Gerwig claims it's not auto-biographical, it just uses some themes from her childhood. It's difficult to find a purpose in the film. Maybe if I listened to the director's commentary I might understand it. There are different conflicting themes, such as a daughter reconciling with her mother, a girl exploring her sexuality, a girl finding her way back to her religion, and a girl with only average intelligence struggling with poverty. Self-recognition is also an important theme: Christine McPherson has called herself Lady Bird all her life, but at the end she proudly calls herself Christine. There may be other themes, but those are the most apparent.

The film has been described as a comedy, but I honestly don't see anything funny about it. Lady Bird's adventures are a series of failures. I say that as a praise to the film. When I was her age, 17 to 18, my life was also a series of failures.

The film's greatest strength is Saoirse Ronan in the title role. She's one of the best actresses alive today. We can feel with her, laugh with her and cry with her as she struggles to survive in a cruel world.

I gave the film five stars after seeing it in the cinema. I was emotionally overwhelmed by the story. I can judge it more soberly the second time round. I don't see the film's message. If I watch it again, I'll definitely listen to the director's commentary. My usual way of listening is to listen to the commentary track while playing the film with subtitles. That way I can get the best of the commentary and the film itself at the same time.

Success Rate:  + 6.0

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