After watching the trailer, I was not sure of what I’ll get. The problem is that this feeling persists during the whole movie. It’s a 50/50: either you like the effort of being immersed into different genres or you hate it. Indeed, this is a mixup between a teenage romance movie interrupted with war and violence. To be short, the strong contrast between intimate peaceful love and the cold and threatening outside world. Not to say, this reflects the perfect dilemma that occurs for most teenagers.
I will stay in the 50% positive for this movie, sometimes clumsy, but with the greatest intentions. Even though you have no surprise with the screenplay, it is at least less bump than other big runways like Hunger Games and Twilight and by (very) far! Why so expectable? Because, the story may favorite the visual at the expense of the story. You will probably blame the main character Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) to be too stereotyped for the sake her evolution; the blond girl who knows s**t about life until she understands how to live again! Actually, I guess underlining such character personality was to accentuate the drama and the contrast necessarily to make all work. Again clumsy, but it raises with more depth Youth existential questions than usual.
Why? Because young actors are completely up to the task. It is rather bluffing to see how Saoirse Ronan seems quite at ease to lead the movie, with sensibility and intelligence. The same for George Mackay, who already convinced me in FOR THOSE IN PERIL, even though I think he is under exploited. As a matter of fact, very silly slow motions on him standing in his countryside dwelling around a bucolic and sunshine decor are completely caricatural and ridiculous.
Then, what would push you away from the concept might be the rhythm. Despite young and punchy rock at the beginning and a very fresh theme, you have narrative length along the movie. Indeed, I think the soundtracks are good and take a great place as there are many contemplative scenes playing with light, color, or tension. However, when Daisy is « the lazy Daisy » staying locked in her room when everyone is playing outside or when she is running away into the forest, it feels like long breaks that could put you out of the movie. The photography and the composition are maybe too good for the narration to follow.
To conclude, the movie gathers good elements but you might not tolerate its clumsiness. For my part, I acknowledge the intentions, the photography and the cast. They belong to a British cinema not afraid to use out of the box concept, like a wind of rebellion or questioning that bring some freshness. A mix between BLACK MIRROR threatening future and The ROAD apocalyptical tension.
