How I Live Now
Set in the near-future UK, Saoirse Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. Based on the award-winning novel by Meg Rosoff.
Director:
Kevin Macdonald
Cast:
Saoirse Ronan, Tom Holland, George MacKay, Anna Chancellor
Screenplay:
Jeremy Brock, Tony Grisoni, Penelope Skinner, Jack Thorne
Screening Date:
Oct 26, 2013
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.7% | 16.2% | 24.3% | 24.3% | 5.4% |
“Riveting! Since childhood I’ve feared nuclear war. Heavy film. Finally a female ULYSSES, a girl becoming a woman.”
“Interesting but a bit unbelievable. Some scenes made me jump. Maybe the book was better.”
“Why was this film necessary?”
“In my opinion this is a much better film than the similar HUNGER GAMES which was so politically correct it lost all emotional impact and became a silly fairy tale. Really those costumes??!?!?! This is a far more powerful film of what it takes to survive in such a world gone totally insane.”
“A convincing and no-hold-barred look at a female coming of age against overwhelming odds, not just teen pressure but a nuclear war! Still it works and is chilling at times.”
“Meg Rosoff was a delightful charming guest, good sense of humor. The story feels like it grabs bits and pieces from other apocalyptic works, a little holocaust feel thrown in, not clear who the factions are in the film, the war feels very vague. Perhaps purposely! Would have liked a little more history of Daisy. I like the casting of Daisy, Saoirse Ronan. Makes me want to read the book to see what the film might have been. George Mackay was perfect as Daisy’s boyfriend.”
“Do we have to be depressed every Saturday morning?”
“Most of my tenage students feel like they are in a war every day with peer pressure, the right clothes to wear and music to listen to and of course bullying. Extending this to a nuclear war is a bit overdoing the metaphor but wow. was it effective.”
“Kevin MacDonald made two films here, a coming of age story of a young woman with personal/family issues (what young girl doesn’t have them?) and a powerful, often intense tale of a post-nuclear holocost. Yes the war forces the girl to mature, but did we have to go that far?”
“Good for kids 12-15.”
“Meg Rosoff was delightful, the film, not so much. Perhaps if she had written the screenplay it would have been better.”
“It shows the cruelty of war to what extent a person will go to survive. Piper was so good in her role. Interesting we never learn who the enemy was! It was not necessary!”
“Perhaps if they had followed the book it would have been better.”
“I thought the film was intense and powerful. Not the conventional trite love story we are used to see today. It was a very raw film with elements of love, war perseverance and look forward to watching it again when it’s released!”
“I knew these were not people I’d want to spend too much time with.”
“The interior monologues of the book are a tough thing to transplant to the screen, but they did a great job, or at least Ms. Ronan sells it well, her performance is that good.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
Interested in director Kevin Mcdonald's creative process? Check it out on the official facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=525678864188968
Check out this interview with star Saoirse Ronan:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201992127195861
"How I Live Now Director Doesn't Understand the Controversy of Kissing Cousins". Do you agree with this critic?
http://www.clickonline.com/movies/how-i-live-now-director-doesnt-underst...
