How I Live Now

-
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-

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

-
Image
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**  The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.  Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a
Read more

Witch

-
Image
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small
Read more

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions"

-
Image
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a
Read more