How I Live Now - Movie Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

Remarkably bleak for a teen movie, this drama keeps us gripped as it throws its characters into an odyssey that's seriously harrowing. Gifted filmmaker Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and a fine young cast make sure that we feel every punch of emotion along the way. And the premise itself gets our minds spinning in unusual directions.

Set in the present day, violent uprisings are growing in Europe as 16-year-old Daisy (Ronan) heads from New York to Britain to spend the summer with her Aunt Penn (Chancellor) on a farm in rural Wales. A sullen loner, she tries to avoid her three chirpy cousins: the quiet genius Eddie (MacKay) is her age, while the more adventurous Isaac (Holland) is 14 and the younger Piper (Bird) is clingy and annoying. Then while Penn is away on business, the violence spreads to the UK, which descends into martial law. The cousins are divided and sent into care. But they promise to meet back at the farm, which is going to be an epic journey for Daisy and Piper if they can escape from their new home.

The story is told from Daisy's perspective, complete with glimpses into her troubled thoughts, dreams and nightmares. We're never sure why she is so deeply fearful of everything around her, but Ronan brings out her fragile mental state beautifully, then takes us along as Daisy is pushed to the limits and must find the inner strength to go forward. As a result, the other characters remain less-defined, although MacKay and Holland bring layers of interest to Eddie and Isaac. As Daisy's companion, Bird is much more present on-screen, and we're as irritated by her as Daisy is.

Director Macdonald does a terrific job at creating the various settings. As seen through Daisy's eyes, Penn's farm is messy and far too bustling, while the distant bomb blast that initiates the chaos is mysterious and eerily beautiful. And it's not just the threat of violence that catches us off-guard; the budding romance between (ahem!) first-cousins Daisy and Eddie is also portrayed with startling sensitivity. But it's the introspective style of storytelling that's deeply haunting. And hard to shake.

Facts and Figures

Year: 2013

Genre: Dramas

Run time: 101 mins

In Theaters: Friday 4th October 2013

Box Office USA: $60.2k

Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures

Production compaines: BFI Film Fund, Passion Pictures, Cowboy Films

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Fresh: 68 Rotten: 33

IMDB: 6.5 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Producer: John Battsek, Alasdair Flind, Andrew Ruhemann, Charles Steel

Screenwriter: Jeremy Brock, Tony Grisoni, Penelope Skinner

Starring: Saoirse Ronan as Daisy, Tom Holland as Isaac, Anna Chancellor as Aunt Penn, George MacKay as Eddie, Corey Johnson as Consular Official, Sophie Ellis as Farm Girl, Harley Bird as Piper, Sabrina Dickens as Guerilla Soldier Girlfriend, Natasha Jones as Woman in Truck

Also starring: Stella Gonet, Des McAleer, John Battsek, Jeremy Brock, Tony Grisoni