The latest from Mike Mills is a beautifully balanced late 70s nostalgic ensemble piece of likeable people.
As a single mother, the matriarch, a never better Annette Bening quite rightly takes centre stage, persuading Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning help raise and guide her 15 year-old son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann). Arguably not the most sensible choices as mentors – Gerwig’s feminist influences leave Jamie in fights with school friends over clitoral orgasms and Fanning heads off on a road trip with Jamie in tow.
It’s a film full of contradictions and it does occasionally slip into anecdotal gratification but relative newcomer Zumann is a delight and, possibly for the first time, I personally liked Greta Gerwig on screen.
Nominated for 1 Oscar in 2017 (best original screenplay).
Rating: 69%
Director: Mike Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker)
Writer: Mike Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker)
Main cast: Annette Bening (American Beauty, The Kids Are Alright), Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Mistress America), Elle Fanning (Trumbo, Super8)
An Opinion or Two 