Blitz (2024)

Direction: Steve McQueen
Country: UK / USA

British filmmaker Steve McQueen, celebrated for his unflinching dramas like Hunger (2008), Shame (2011), and the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave (2013), returns with Blitz, a wobbly wartime drama that tackles themes of racism, loss, and survival. Written by McQueen, this fictional story anchored in a brutal historical reality, is set during WWII in London, a city under relentless bombing by German forces. The protagonist is George (Elliott Heffernan), a mixed-race boy sent to the countryside by his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan), in a desperate effort to keep him safe amidst the chaos.

McQueen's direction is distinguished by formal rigor and precise realism, but his film is less impactful than usual. Although effectively capturing the horrors of war and the anguish of separation, the film’s not completely free of academicism, its success hampered by an uneven intensity. It’s too manufactured for my taste, with a few scenes depicted in an excessively casual way to ring true. 

Despite a neat visual aesthetic marked by glossy frames of war destruction, the film gets lost in the multiplicity of its ambitions and tangled in conventional triteness and sentimentality. Blitz feels weighed down by its own limitations. In general, it doesn't transcend, and viewers may feel a little icky about the experience. 

The Outrun (2024)

Direction: Nora Fingscheidt
Country: UK / Germany 

Set against the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland’s Orkney Islands, The Outrun marks German director Nora Fingscheidt’s third feature, an adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir. The film follows the harrowing journey of Rona (Saoirse Ronan), a 29-year-old unemployed alcoholic who, after her chaotic life in urban London spirals out of control, voluntarily attends AA meetings and returns to her childhood home. Amid the rugged beauty of the islands, Rona confronts her past, shaped by a religious mother and a bipolar father, as she struggles to rebuild her life. 

Ronan, also serving as a producer, delivers a mesmerizing performance, infusing Rona with raw emotion and vulnerability. Known for her acclaimed roles in Lady Bird (2017) and Brooklyn (2015), she once again proves herself a powerhouse, capturing the turbulence of addiction and recovery with profound authenticity. Her portrayal mirrors the unpredictable Orkney weather: serene one moment, tumultuous the next.

Fingscheidt employs a non-linear narrative, weaving flashbacks with present-day scenes to explore Rona’s internal and external battles. The lyrical voice-over enhances the storytelling, offering glimpses into the protagonist’s thoughts and reflections. While the final scene slightly falters in execution, the film’s overall tone and rhythm remain consistently engaging, immersing the viewer in Rona’s world of constant struggle and fleeting victories.

At its core, The Outrun is a potent neo-realist drama—compassionate, intimate, and unflinchingly honest. Its unadorned approach, paired with Ronan’s deeply affecting performance, makes it a compelling exploration of addiction, redemption, and the healing power of returning to one’s roots.

Lady Bird (2017)

Directed By: Greta Gerwig
Country: USA

The extremely talented actress turned deft writer and now promising director, Greta Gerwig ("Francis Ha", "Mistress America"), reveals her genius in “Lady Bird”, a delightful coming-of-age comedy-drama with so much to be apprehended and cherished.

The semi-autobiographical film is a love letter to her city of Sacramento in California and also a glorious portrait of family and friendship, personal dreams and social status.

The American actress of Irish descent, Saoirse Ronan, who excelled in John Crowley's drama "Brooklyn", stars as Christine McPherson, a quick-tempered 16-year-old who wants to be called by Lady Bird. Her rebelliousness can easily turn into radical actions such as throwing herself out of a moving car because of an argument with her nurse mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf). The clash between these strong personalities is very perceptible here, becoming the responsible factor for those typical love-hate bonds in the life of an adolescent. Besides, the title character hates Sacramento and doesn’t want to study at the Catholic high school, despite the scholarship granted to her. According to her mother, this financial help came at the right time since her depressed father, Larry (Tracy Letts), is currently unemployed. But the ambitious Lady Bird wants more and dreams about going to the East coast, where all the culture is. Unfortunately, her parents couldn’t afford to give her an education there, but that’s no reason to give up, though. The resilient Lady Bird already engendered a plan with the complicity of her benevolent father.

Meanwhile, at school, she hangs out with her best friend, Julie (Beanie Feldstein), and starts dating with an Irish Catholic boy, Danny (Lucas Hedges), who comes to the conclusion he’s gay after all, stressing out with the thought of having to confess the truth to his parents. 

In a blink of an eye, the life of Lady Bird shifts from anonymity to the center of attention when she starts a more serious relationship with the popular Kyle (Timothée Chalamet), the leader of a cool rock band, who often puts on airs. Moreover, she cuts off relations with Julie, replacing her with the spoiled and pretentious Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush). However, and because life always reveals us if we're right or wrong, she realizes, sooner than later, that those moves were nothing but mistakes. Learning and growing!

Ms. Gerwig not only depicted the tempestuous mother-daughter relationship with extraordinary precision, but also set up each and every other interpersonal connection with outstanding truthfulness. The topic has been addressed countless times but few attained this level of credibility. 

The characters are meaningful and fascinating, the narrative is no slouch, and the story, incredibly simple, is grandiose in terms of gracefulness and spirit.
This funny, tender, and brilliant film, thriving with witty observations and touching conclusions, is undoubtedly at the very top of my 2017 best list.