How I Live Now

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How I Live Now
Starring Saoirse Ronan, George MacKay, Tom Holland, Harley Bird
Directed by Kevin Macdonald

Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) travels to England to visit her cousins in the midst of a possible third World War.  She doesn't care about anything or anyone, until she falls for her cousin Eddie (George MacKay), and the two begin a relationship.  She then begins to care about others, including her younger cousins Isaac (Tom Holland) and Piper (Harley Bird).

All is beautiful and picturesque in the small village they live in, until a bomb goes off in London, and their home is taken over by the government.  The girls are separated from the boys, and Eddie tells Daisy to get back home.  Daisy and Piper are taken to a safe haven where they work in the fields, and Eddie and Isaac are sent to war.

When their safe haven turns deadly, Daisy and Piper set off on a dangerous trek back to their country home, in hopes Eddie and Isaac are there waiting for them.  As they travel through woods and fields, the girls face fear at every turn, from a plane crash to rebel forces and crazed men.  Will Daisy and Eddie be reunited, or has the war changed them all forever?

Directed by Kevin Macdonald ("The Last King of Scotland") and having an incredible lead actress in Saoirse Ronan, "How I Live" is a compelling film based off a book of the same name, about love in the time of war.  Sure, they're cousins (which is perfectly normal in West Virginia), but the relationship between Daisy and Eddie is the driving force of the film, and it compels Daisy to think about others instead of holding everything inside.  The evolution of Daisy is amazing to see, and Ronan once again shows why she's one of today's most eclectic actresses.  

My Rating: A-

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